Gambling in Montana? You Bet! (sort of)

Super Bowl XLIX, one of the most-watched sporting events of the year, will kick off Sunday but many people already know who will win the game.

And they're willing to bet money on it.

In Montana, betting on the big game is legal, to an extent.

Gambling in the state falls into two categories: Public and private. A public scenario includes betting at a place such as a bar, fraternity or sorority house. In these establishments, lawful betting is known as "sports pools."

Participants pay to write his or her name in a 100-square board, and once all the spaces are sold each box is then assigned a number at random. The winner is decided by a combination of numbers on the board and scores during the game.

In a private setting, such as a home or office, state law allows betting among friends, family and co-workers.

"A couple of friends saying I'll bet you a dollar that the Seahawks will beat the Patriots is not an activity that you can do publicly, but there's nothing wrong with doing it in the privacy of your own home with your friends," said Rick Ask, Montana Gambling Control administrator. "As far as doing something like that in a public manner, that would be a violation of the law and would be subject to our investigation and enforcement and charges being filed."

Ask said that as long as people advertise a betting contest at their home to the community, they should be betting legally.

MORE>>>KBZK