Distinctly Montana Magazine

Laws & Loopholes Gambling was made illegal in 1889 with the first Montana state constitution (actually, it was the third since the first was lost, and the second was never voted upon). However, during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, gambling laws were enacted, but not overall enforced. In 1910, gambling was outlawed in every western state, but persisted, so long as it didn't draw much attention. In the '30s, gambling was popular with men and women The Fraternity & Charity of the 1930s & '40s During the Prohibition era, both drinking and gambling had many places to hide. However, when Prohibition was repealed, gambling was left publicly exposed. In 1937, the Montana Legislature passed the "Hickey Law." Playing dominoes, bridge, blackjack and other popular "cigar and drug store games" was legalized, so long as gambling establishments paid a $10 annual fee. It didn't take long for saloon and bar owners to exploit this loophole. The law limited gambling to "fraternal, charitable, and nonprofit organizations." Soon, hundreds of bars filed nonprofit corporation papers and roped-off (fraternal) "members only" sections where "members" paid a fee to enter and gamble. It was a successful loophole, considerably exploited during the late 1930s and 1940s. Gambling Raids: The 1950s In the late 1940s and throughout the '50s, crackdowns and raids closed the gambling loopholes. Many slot machines were bashed into pieces — even by Attorney General Arnold Olsen (1948-1957), who led many of the raids. Bingo Bob and the '60s & '70s Gambling crackdowns continued in the 1960s and '70s and soon focused on the most evil form of gambling: bingo. Indeed, according to Bingo Bob, aka Robert Woodahl, Attorney General from 1968 through 1976, bingo was illegal since it involved "cards that were played and won as prizes" (that is, the bingo cards themselves). During his time, Bingo Bob chased down the most nefarious gambling heathens: stamp toting, bingo-playing, elderly women who frequented dangerous church-basement bingo halls. Gambling hit an absurd low. New Constitution, New Luck Fortunately, luck for gambling began to change with the new state constitution in 1972, which legalized bingo, raffles, poker, poker machines and other card games were made legal on a roll of sensible legislation. In 1976, the Montana State Lottery was founded, letting players bet their luck on Powerball, Montana Cash, Mega Millions, and Hot Lotto. Nowadays, anyone in Montana over the age of 18 can bet on horses (as done hundreds of years ago) at the several racetracks around the state. They can also play various table and card games, slots, keno and other games at Montana casinos, even if the "casino" is at the local gas station, café, or convenience store. Legalizing gambling has been a lucky move for the state. For example, licenses and other fees generated revenues over $54 million for the state in 2012. And while we can learn much about history, we only know one thing about the future of gambling in Montana: it will change — just like luck itself. w w w. d i s t i n c t ly mo nt a na .co m Domestic Keno prizes for wives The historic M and M Cafe in Butte at its peak 55

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