betting plan taking shapetavern opinion/editorial times — upcoming events — feb. 11 hi-line...

Vol. 24, Number 3 A Tash Communications Publication February 2019

Endorsed by the

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

P A I DPermit No. 93Livingston, MT

Change service requested: P.O. Box 4307, Butte, MT 59702

CENTURY AMUSEMENT CEO Steve Arntzen,right, talks sports betting at the Gaming IndustryAssociation meeting Jan. 15 in Helena. Listening

are, from left, GIA Executive Director NeilPeterson, GIA President Joe McKenney andTodd Waterman from Century.

[email protected] 406-494-0100

By Paul TashMontana Tavern Times

Video gaming machine (VGM) revenues in Montanaincreased about 6 percent in the second quarter of FiscalYear 2019 over the same period a year ago, according topreliminary figures recently released by the state’sGambling Control Division.

Revenues totaled about $15.6 million for the secondquarter, which ended Dec. 31, compared to $14.7 mil-lion in the second quarter of FY18. The second-quartertotal represented a 1 percent drop from first quarter rev-enues of nearly $15.8 million.

Despite the second quarter’s gain, tax revenuesremain more than 2 percent below the industry’s highmark of $16 million recorded in the second quarter of

FY08. Revenues soon after began to plummet,falling by more than 20 percent from 2009 to 2011when an economic recession and other factorshammered the industry. That revenue declinehas been compounded as expenses havecontinued to rise, leaving the industry deal-ing with today's expenses and revenues at2007 levels.

“It’s nice to see some growth in VGM taxrevenues,” said Neil Peterson, executive direc-tor of the Gaming Industry Association ofMontana. “The increase reflects the Montanaeconomy growing and getting stronger. We

GIA supportsinitial proposal

for sports betting

MTA helping to develop legislation

By Paul TashMontana Tavern TimesThe Gaming Industry

Association of Montana will con-tinue to work with a subcommitteeof the Gaming Advisory Counciltasked to develop legislation tolegalize and create sports bettingin the state.

The GIA Board of Directors atits meeting Jan. 15 also endorsedthe legislative framework the sub-committee has developed so far, aspressure to craft a bill that makessense for the Montana’s gamingindustry mounts.

“The train is coming down thetrack,” GIA President JoeMcKenney said, noting thatsports-betting legislation will beintroduced this session and that aunified gaming industry should beleading the charge.

GIA Executive Director Neil

Betting plan taking shape

See REVENUE Page 8

Century readiesfor sports bets

- Page 3

VGM revenues show gains

Jorie Tash photo

By Paul TashMontana Tavern Times

With the legislative sessionunderway, the Montana TavernAssociation’s Board of Directorsreviewed a long list of real andpotential legislation that couldaffect the state’s tavern industry,including sports betting and a slewof alcohol-related bills, at its quar-

terly meeting Jan. 16 in Helena.The board agreed to continue

working with a Gambling AdvisoryCouncil subcommittee that isdeveloping a sports-betting bill tobe introduced later in the session.Sports betting has become a hottopic throughout the country in thewake of a Supreme Court ruling

Peterson agreed, adding that Atty.Gen. Tim Fox told the subcommit-tee in early January that he’s OKwith sports betting “if it’s benefi-cial for local businesses.”

Following are the main pointsof the subcommittee’s proposal,which will be presented to the fullGambling Advisory Council:

• The Gambling ControlDivision (GCD) will be the regu-

See BETTING 1 See TAVERNS Page 9

Montana Tavern Times – 2 February 2019

Montana Tavern Times – 3February 2019

By Jorie TashMontana Tavern Times

Billings-based Century GamingTechnologies, Montana’s largest gam-ing-route operator, announced lastmonth that it has partnered with aglobal sports book operator to offersports betting in Montana should the2019 Legislature legalize the activity.

In making the announcement atthe Gaming Industry Association’sBoard of Directors meeting Jan. 15 inHelena, Steve Arntzen, president and CEOof Century Gaming, announced that Centuryhas reached “an exclusive agreement” withRoar Digital, “the largest sports book opera-tor in the world,” to provide kiosk-basedsports-book operations for Montana.

“It’s an honor to work with a majorcompany that wants a presence here,”Arntzen said.

Roar Digital is a joint venture betweenMGM International and GVC Holdings,Arntzen said, and provides sports wageringthrough its playMGM mobile app, whichcan be downloaded onto smart phones rightnow.

“It’s the tool that will be used if sportsbetting comes to fruition,” he said.

Century joins Golden Route Operationsof Montana as the first companies that haveannounced plans tooffer sports-bettingin Montana, pend-ing the activity’slegislative approval.Golden has part-nered with WilliamHill, another globalsports-betting management company, to runits sports-betting operation in Montana.

Roar Digital and William Hill wouldprovide the kiosks required in the sportsbetting proposal still under development bythe gaming industry and others. They wouldalso manage the betting operations, odds,types of bets, and other sports-wageringinformation through the kiosks. Customerscould use the kiosk directly or special phoneapps like playMGM that are linked to thekiosks to place bets. Century and Goldenwould distribute the kiosks free of charge to

the locations and provide additional locationsupport.

Roar Digital – the official sports-bettingpartner of the WNBA, NBA, MLB andNHL – obviously “sees some potential herein Montana,” Arntzen said. He believesCentury can place about 250 Roar kiosks inMontana casinos in the first year.

“I think we can get more than that,” hesaid.

According to an MGM press release,Roar is “a world-class sports bettingand online gaming platform” that isthe manufacturer of MGM’s sportsbetting mobile app called playMGM.Smartphone users, Arntzen said, candownload the app to gain somefamiliarity with the user interfacewhile seeing the current odds and bet-ting capabilities of hundreds of games

without making an account.Century’s sports-betting venture

would provide bettors and locations analternative to Golden Route’s William Hillkiosks and allow users a choice of sports-books.

John Iverson, lobbyist for theMontana Tavern Association, saidcompeting sports-betting operationsis a good thing.

“The more providers, the bet-ter for both the industry and con-sumers,” he said.

Century prepares for sports betting

• Karaoke 7 nights a week 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.• Newest Poker, Keno and Line Games• Packaged Liquor To-Go• Great Drink Prices

Best Live Poker Action in Town in the Queen of Hearts Card Room.

crystalloungebillings.com

101 North 28th Street • Billings, Montana • 406-259-0010

Queen of HeartsCard Club

February 2019Montana Tavern Times – 4

Opinion/EditorialTavernTimes

— UPCOMING EVENTS — Feb. 11 Hi-Line Tavern Assoc. dinner, Duck Inn, Havre March 24-26 ABL Annual Meeting, Bally’s, Las Vegas May 14-15 GIA Convention, Chico Hot Springs Sept. 9-11 MTA Convention and Trade Show, Sidney

— STANDING DATES — 2nd Tues. of month Carbon/Stillwater TA 328-4807 1st & 3rd Wed. month Cascade Co. TA 453-9567 2nd Mon. of month Central Montana TA 366-9633 Quarterly (call) Flathead Co. TA 270-8069 1st Thurs. of month Hi-Line TA 265-9551 2nd Wed. of month North Lake Co. TA 844-3372 2nd Wed. of month Lincoln Co. TA 293-4493 2nd Tues. of month Miles City TA 234-3164 1st Tues. of quarter Missoula Co. TA 728-0030 3rd Thurs. of month Park County TA 222-0665 Last Tues. of month Ravalli Co. TA 821-1853 2nd Thurs of month Richland Co. TA 433-4354 2nd Thur. of month Sheridan-Richland-Daniels 474-2358 2nd Tues. of month Silver Bow TA 494-6062 Last Wed. of month Southwest Montana TA 835-2150 1st Mon. of month Toole Co. TA 434-2442 2nd Tues. of month Tri-County LBA 475-3125 1st Thurs. of month Yellowstone TA 855-0778

Tavern Timetable

Paul Tash, Editor/Publisher • [email protected] phone: 406-494-0100 • Cell: 406-491-0100

Paul Vang, Contributing Writer • [email protected] 406-494-5736

Ad Production • [email protected]

Postmaster: Please send address change requests to P.O. Box 4307, Butte, MT 59702All rights reserved by publisher

This publication has been endorsed by the Montana Tavern Association

Reprints of articles and back issues are available at a cost of $10.If you wish to begin receiving the Montana Tavern Times,

send your name, mailing address, telephone number and $35 for a year’s subscriptionto Montana Tavern Times, P.O. Box 4307, Butte, MT 59702.

Tavern Times Business and News Office:P.O. Box 4307, Butte, MT 59702

• TEL: 406-494-0100 • E-MAIL: [email protected]

A Tash Communications Publication

Write usThe Montana Tavern Times welcomes letters to the editor.Letters must include the writer’s name and address. Theword limit is 300. Mail to Montana Tavern Times, P.O. Box4307, Butte MT 59702, or email us at [email protected]. The Times reserves the right not to print let-ters it finds objectionable.

By Dax CetraroMTA President

I walk a fine line at MTA:that as the president of ourtrade association and my dailygig as a bar owner. Sometimesthe two areas get a little gray asI state my position on an issue.But on SWIG406, the mobilephone app MTA developed, myposition is the same – I’m 100percent in! Let me explain whatI mean.

1) As president of theMTA, I’m going to tell you weNEED our members to supportSWIG406 by being a part of theapp. It’s easy to do and it’sgood for your business. Butwe’ve heard a lot of memberssay they are going to “wait andsee” how the app does. Myfriends, if we all do that, I canguarantee you the app will fail.

MTA has a lot invested inSWIG406. In fact, we have yourvery future invested in it. I’m nottalking just money, but I meanwhat MTA can or cannot do foryou as a member. SWIG406 isour main fundraiser. The more

bars who participate in the appthe more paying subscribersSWIG406 will get and that’swhat will keep our dues low.

You might remember thatearlier in 2018 we raised ourdues . . . FOR THE FIRSTTIME IN 34 YEARS! MTA didn’traise them anything crazy, just$25 for regular members. If wehad raised dues to keep upwith inflation since 1984, dueswouldn’t be $125, they wouldbe more than $242. None of us

want that!We also don’t want to have

to cut back on our advocacyefforts at a time when our busi-nesses are being threatenedmore than ever. We want toexpand our services to mem-bers, not reduce them. How dowe do this? With your supportof SWIG406!

This app has the capacity todo great things for your bar andyour trade association, but theonly way that will happen is if

we get more bars to participate!More bars equal more sub-scribers and that’s whatSWIG406 needs to be success-ful.

2) As a bar owner, I’veheard the arguments againstSWIG406. Some of you areafraid you will be giving awayhundreds and thousands offree drinks. I’m going to tell youthat’s just not the case! I man-age the Rialto in Helena and asof Dec. 18, 2018, I’ve givenaway 20 free drinks. That’s 20free drinks since May! And,according to the MTA office,that’s the most any bar inMontana has had to redeem.And I give away one drink permonth!

You are in control of howoften you give away a freedrink in the app; you can setthe app for one free drink persubscriber a month, one a year,one every three months . . . it’sup to you. You are in control.And if you ever find yourself notwanting to give away any more

This app has thecapacity to do

great things for yourbar and your tradeassociation ... butwe need more barsto participate.

Dax Cetraro

See SWIG406 Page 5

SWIG’s benefits from two sides

By Anne GerkenGCD CommunicationsHappy belated New Year!

As many make New Year’sresolutions to improve theirlife in the coming year, theDivision is also committed toexploring opportunities toimprove the gambling regula-tory structure, such asthrough a review of ourAdministrative Rules. Preparefor some minor changes inthe rules heading your way in2019.

The proposed changeswere outlined in a MARNotice emailed to licenseesin December, and the public hearing washeld Jan. 24. The rule changes will affectcard dealer licenses, 50/50 raffles, creditgambling restrictions, grounds for denial ofa license, and changes in references from“Liquor” to “Alcoholic Beverage.”

Here are a few highlights of the pro-posed changes that licensees should beaware of.

Card dealer licensesUnder the rule proposal, any new or

renewed card dealer license issued afterthe effective date will expire at the end ofthe fiscal year. Currently card dealer licens-es expire on the dealer’s birthday. Havingthem on a fiscal year schedule, expiringJune 30, will streamline processing of newand renewed licenses and make them con-sistent with all other license types.

• All licenses issued prior to the effectivedate of this rule change will retain the expi-

ration date listed on their license.• Fingerprint submission will no longer

be required yearly for renewals but rather inmost cases, every five years. This changeshould result in it being much easier forlicensees to submit their renewal online. Inaddition, it will be less expensive for carddealers to renew their license since they willno longer have to pay the backgroundcheck processing fee every year.

• Updates to the application form willenable new applicants to apply online.

Credit gamblingSome gambling operators’ misuse of

patron’s checks has created a need for revi-sions to the credit play prohibition rule.Under the proposed rule changes, evidenceof a gambling licensee's routine pattern orpractice of accepting checks which don’thave all the required information raises adisputable presumption of illegal credit gam-bling. The proposed rule indicates:

• Checks must be fully completedby the account owner.

• A completed check mustinclude:

- the name of the gamblinglicensee to whom it is payable,

- the amount of the check, - the date upon which it was

written, and - the signature of the drafter.

Gambling license denialIt has been our experience that

some applicants and licenseesunreasonably delay records sub-missions requested by the divisionas part of a license/permit applica-tion, renewal application, or finan-

cial audit. Under the administrative rule pro-posal, failure to supply records within a rea-sonable time period (assuming it is withinthe applicant’s or licensee’s control) isgrounds for denial of a gambling license,permit, or authorization.

ABCD name changeAs a result of the Liquor Control Division

changing its name to the AlcoholicBeverage Control Division, the Departmentof Justice is responding by amending itsrules to reflect the new name.

The complete MAR Notice (23-15-256)can be found by visiting www.mtrules.org.The effective date of the new and amendedrules is expected to be late February 2019.

We look forward to working with you inthe New Year. If you have any questions,please contact us at 406-444-1971 [email protected]. Or visit the web page atwww.dojmt.gov/gaming.



The rule changeswill affect card

dealer licenses,credit gamblingrestrictions, andgambling licensedenial.

Anne Gerken

SWIG406from Page 4

free drinks, MTA (or you) canshut off your profile on the app,just like that; no coupons float-ing around for a year.

SWIG406 is good for MYbusiness. I use it a couple ofdifferent ways:

First: I use it to promoteevents at my joints. New Year’sEve was a great example. Ifyou have something awesomegoing on add it to your events!SWIG406 users are looking at itto know what’s happening. MTATreasurer Bruce McCulloughowns Miller’s Crossing and hisjoint is known for live music. Heputs all his live music events onSWIG406. Our newest member,Lambkins in Lincoln, is usingthe app to highlight their dailymenu specials. And if you haveencouraged people to makeyour profile a favorite, they get

a notification each time youadd a new event so it’s likesending them a text lettingthem know what’s happening.

Second: I give awaySWIG406 subscriptions in mycasino and my bar. I can buyredemption codes from theMTA office for $5/each for aone-month subscription.Margaret sends me this awe-some little card I can hand tomy customer with the code,instructions how to redeem thegift and even a QR code tohelp them download the app. Iplan to give them away overthe holidays and I use them inmy player’s club for prizes.

MTA provides me withposters for SWIG406 I canhang in my bar, Montana-shaped stickers I can give mycustomers, information cards Ican clip on to receipts andmore. They run social mediaand internet campaigns thatpromote SWIG406 and drive

business my way. Once a weekMargaret sends all participatingbars social media messageswe can use and incorporateinto our own marketing. MTAruns a SWIG406 social mediapage the promotes subscrip-tions AND encourages sub-scribers to visit each of ourbars.

How do I know it’s working?A couple of friends who useSWIG406 sent me a text tellingme, “Because of the SWIG406app we are falling love withbars we normally wouldn’t evengo in. We love SWIG406.”

I hired a person to run mysocial media. She adds myevents to SWIG406 the sametime she’s adding to myFacebook page. The adminside of SWIG406 is easy forbars to learn, and MTA evencreated three short (3 minutes)videos we can watch to make iteven easier. Plus, MTAExecutive Director Margaret

Herriges always offers to help ifI have a question. She knowsthis app inside and out.

SWIG406 has been a biginvestment for MTA but we did itas an investment for our mem-bers in addition to the associa-tion itself. As it grows, it willbecome the go-to app for peo-ple looking for fun things to doand to explore bars – OURBARS! The app knows whereyour customers are, and itshows them the closest partici-pating bars. It even maps it tohelp them find you!

Apps are how people dobusiness now, even if you as abar owner are not using a smartphone, I will guarantee you yourcustomers are. Join SWIG406by contacting Herriges at 406-442-5040. SWIG406 will bewildly successful with your par-ticipation. Don’t sit back andwait for it to become popular,participate in the app andMAKE it popular today.

New Administrative Rules proposed


By Joel SilvermanSilverman Law Offices

For those of you that don’t knowme, I am an attorney with offices inHelena and Bozeman. I have beenworking as an attorney in the liquorand gambling arena for the betterpart of 15 years, which includes afive plus year stint at the MontanaDepartment of Revenue.

This is going to be the first of along series of monthly articles tohelp people in the hospitality indus-try understand some business,legal and tax issues that you facein running your hospitality business.

Today’s topic is tips and tippools. The Montana Department of Laborhas made it very clear that tips belong tothe employee, and the establishment can-not force the employee to divulge or turn inthe tips that are received from patrons. Wehave been asked by several of our clientswhether or not their restaurant can create atip pool, so that the employees in the back

room (bus people and the cooks) can bene-fit from the tips that are received by the waitstaff.

The simple answer to the tip pool ques-tion is no. You cannot force your wait staffto share their tips. Since the tips are ownedby the wait staff, it is up to them if they wantto share their tips with the rest of the staffthat is helping them do their jobs. We have

coached many clients to dis-cuss with their teams that ifthey want a tip pool, then thetip pool has to be at the dis-cretion of the wait staff.

Additionally, if the ownerswant the tip pool, then itwould be best to sit downwith your entire team andexplain to them why you wanta tip pool and how the tippool benefits everyone whenthe support team helps outthe wait staff. Team effort anda team culture rises all boats.

If everyone works togeth-er, everyone should make

more in tips because the customer willreceive a better service. Without a greatteam culture, all you have is a bunch ofindependent employees working under oneroof.

If you have any topics that you want tobe covered in future articles, please emailme at [email protected].


Column to help with legal questions

The MontanaDepartment of

Labor has made itvery clear that tipsbelong to theemployee ....

Joel Silverman

ObituariesBill MacIntyre, 76

Longtime owner of Pug Mahon’s tavern in Billings, Bennett WilliamMacIntyre, known as Bill to his family and Mac to everyone else, diedJan. 12.

MacIntyre was born Oct. 2, 1942, the second of seven children bornto Bennett and Mary Catherine “Kay” MacIntyre. He was raised inAnaconda and often spoke of how much he loved his childhood there. It

was a childhood filled with freedom and adven-ture. He loved the time he spent with hisMcCarthy and MacIntyre grandparents.

The MacIntyre family moved to Butte in thesummer of 1953. Bill attended ImmaculateConception Elementary School and graduatedfrom Butte Central High School in 1961. Afterhigh school, he attended Carroll College andthen joined the Navy and served in theConstruction Battalion (SeaBees) in Vietnam.

Upon his return to the States, he completedhis studies at Carroll College. He then moved to

Billings, where he obtained his Master’s Degree inCounseling from Eastern Montana College. MacIntyre remained inBillings, where he directed alcohol and drug counseling programs. Helater became the first certified wallpaper hanger in Montana and built avery successful wallpaper hanging business.

From there, he invested in the Sunflower Cafe. This eventuallybecame Pug Mahon’s, where he enjoyed great success for the remainderof his life.

“Bill lived every moment of his life to the fullest,” according to infor-mation provided to the Dahl Funeral Chapel in Billings. “He loved float-ing the Salmon river every summer with friends. Being an avid golfer, heenjoyed winning his flight at the Yellowstone Roundup numerous times.He also enjoyed hunting with his beloved dogs Katie, Leo and Sunny. Heloved traveling the world, especially being able to go to Ireland to see hisGrandfather McCarthy’s childhood home.”

MacIntyre was preceded in death by his parents, Bennett and MaryCatherine “Kay” MacIntyre. His older brother David died an hour afterBill. He is survived by his brothers Larry (Tricia) MacIntyre, Donald(Kris) MacIntyre, Kevin MacIntyre, Chuck MacIntyre, and his sisterMarilyn (Tom Machiorletti) MacIntyre. In lieu of flowers, make dona-tions in MacIntyre’s name to The Billings Clinic or Montana Public Radio.

Judy Younce-Perino, 70Judy Younce-Perino, 70, who with her husband owned the Pair-a-Dice

Bar in Butte, died Jan. 9 at home surrounded by family after a hard-fought battle with cancer.

The Butte-Silver Bow Tavern Association last November honoredJudy and John for their “outstanding contributions” to, and support of, thelocal Montana Tavern Association chapter. She often helped the local

association set up many activities and dinners.Younce-Perino was born on April 28, 1948,

in Butte to Fred and Ruth Sumpter, where shewas raised with her three siblings, Robert,Roberta and Debbie. She attended HawthorneGrade School and graduated from Butte HighSchool.

Younce-Perino worked for many of the greattheaters such as the Rialto, Montana and FoxTheaters as an usher. She then worked forWoolworths until it closed and then went on towork for The Montana Standard until her retire-

ment.Younce-Perino married Stan Younce in Butte on April 25, 1975, and

they shared many happy years together until his death in 2000.Judy and John Perino started their adventures together in 2001 and

traveled to many places, including Alaska, Georgia, Mexico, TheBahamas and Puerto Rico, where they ziplined through the rain forest.They also traveled up the West Coast stopping in all the small towns theycould find, as well as trips to San Francisco and celebrating Mardi Grasin New Orleans, with many of these trips accompanied by their very closefriends, Jack and Judy Fisher. Judy and John also took every chance theycould to explore many states and played at any and all golf courses theycould find.

“The stories they came back with were always full of laughs and wildtimes,” according to information provided to The Montana Standard.“Wherever Mama traveled to, whether it was across the country or downthe street, many friendships were made. She was full of life and lookedforward to any get-togethers, whether it was just a barbeque or the girls’annual trip to the bazaars, which included, of course, stopping for margar-itas at the end of the day. She loved all the holidays, especially Christmas,which was evident by all the ornaments and her collection of Christmashouses that stayed out all year round.”

Younce-PerinoMacIntrye


hope the trend continues for futurequarters.”

All seven of the state's largestcounties posted year-over-yeargains last quarter. Flathead Countyenjoyed its second straight strongperformance, increasing 12 percentto $1,464,000 from $1,308,000,while Yellowstone showed a 7.7percent increase to $3,208,000from $3,000,000 and Cascade a6.6 percent increase to $1,608,000from $1,508,000. Fourth-quarterresults for other largest counties are:

• Gallatin, up 5.1 percent to$1,007,000 from $959,000;

• Lewis and Clark, up 3.1 per-cent to $1,114,000 from$1,081,000;

• Missoula, up 1.4 percent to$1,540,000 from $1,519,000;

• And Silver Bow, up 5.5 per-cent to $878,000 from $833,000.

Revenuefrom Page 1

Livingston), up 12.4 percent to$253,000 from $225,000;

• Ravalli County (county seat –Hamilton) up 7.1 percent to$386,000 from $360,000;

• Richland (county seat –Sidney) up 3.1 percent to $346,000from $336,000;

• Roosevelt (county seat – Wolf

Point) up 12.5 percent to $304,000from $270,000.

Overall, 39 of the state’s 56counties reported revenue increases(the GCD doesn’t release revenuesfor counties with just one gaminglicense). See the accompanyingtables for gaming revenue specificson other counties and cities.

Second-quarter results for thenext largest counties include:

• Hill (county seat – Havre), up5.3 percent to $262,000 from$249,000;

• Lincoln (county seat –Libby), down 3.3 percent to$257,000 from $266,000;

• Park (county seat –


Tavernsfrom Page 1

last May that allowed states tooffer that gambling activity if theychoose. Montana's gaming indus-try has been working on a proposalto bring before legislators thisyear, and the MTA has beenadamant that any sports-bettingproposal be based in Montana’sregulated, tax-paying gamingestablishments that are uniquelysuited to host sports betting.

“Sports betting has the poten-tial to grow Montana’s Main Streeteconomy,” said John Iverson,MTA lobbyist and governmentaffairs advisor.

Though sports betting itselfwouldn't create much revenue forparticipating operators, he said, ithas the potential to bring in newcustomers.

“I think this will drive trafficto your location,” he said. “It’s thehospitality that makes the differ-ence.”

The MTA board last monthreiterated its support of a sports-betting model that follows certaincriteria, including:

• Restricting sports bettinginside licensed gaming establish-ments (specifically, liquorlicensees with a gaming endorse-ment) using kiosk-based systemsthat provide the capability throughwi-fi or other means to limit bet-ting within the premises of thegaming establishment (the MTAalso endorsed at its Jan. 16 meet-ing a requirement that patronsmust create an account in order tobet);

• Ensuring a separation ofsports-betting operations fromother gaming operations in theestablishments, particularly thepoker, keno and line-gamemachines;

• Prohibiting use of creditcards and other credit to bet,which is illegal in Montana (theMTA at its Jan. 16 meetingendorsed cash-only sports betting);

• Requiring a commission bepaid to licensees;

• And requiring regulation beprovided by the state's GamblingControl Division.

Montana’s largest route opera-tors, Golden Entertainment andCentury Gaming, are prepared tooffer similar sports-betting systemsfor Montana that follow those cri-teria (see story on Page 3) shouldlegalization pass this year. Thosesystems would provide whatindustry representatives call “truesports betting” for patrons thatwould include the ability to bet notonly on game outcomes, such ashandicapped winners, over-underscores, etc., but also a myriad of“in-game” proposition bets, suchas what basketball player scores

first in a quarter, or even whatfootball team wins the openingcoin flip.

In addition, Intralot, the firmthat manages operations for theMontana Lottery, could run legis-lation to provide a different kindof sports betting that plays morelike a lottery game, with poorerodds but bigger payouts, likelythrough its “Red Box” kiosks. Andthe Montana Board of Housing hasdiscussed the possibility of intro-ducing a sports-betting bill basedon pari-mutuel horse racing.

The MTA supported these dif-ferent forms, as long as they meetthe general sports-betting criteria.

“There’s room in the marketfor (all three),” Iverson said. “Wecould have companies with differ-

ent products … competing for ourbusiness.”

Player trackingThe MTA discussed pending

legislation by Rewards LLC, aMontana-based software develop-ment company, to allow electronicplayer-tracking technology in casi-nos that could provide enhancedbonus and rewards for players, aswell as additional promotionalpossibilities.

The MTA has historicallyopposed electronic player tracking,primarily citing the concern thatlarger operations with multiplecasinos could share player dataand market to the best players, cre-ating an unfair playing field withsmall, individual gaming opera-tors. However, Clint Lohman ofRewards LLC said his company’slegislation will address the MTA'slong-standing concerns to player-tracking, primarily through the useof new technology that allows thedata to become "intellectual prop-erty" owned by locations. In fact,he said, the bill will specificallymandate that individual casinosown the player information com-piled by the player-tracking sys-tems and would prohibit the shar-ing of any data between casinos.

Board members Tanya Hardingand Chad Bachmeier urged theboard to reconsider its oppositionto player tracking, in light of thebill’s data-protection measures.

“I think it’s something weshould get behind,” Bachmeiersaid.

However, the actual bill wasnot available for review at themeeting, and the board agreed itwouldn’t act until it can examinethe bill’s language, so its opposi-tion to electronic player trackingremains.

Alcohol legislationThe “sheer volume” of alco-

hol-related legislation will bedaunting, Iverson told the board.Over 90 bills dealing with alcohol

have been submitted to the 2019Legislature, Iverson said, with atleast 30 of those expected to getheard.

“We dealt with 19 last session,and that was too many,” he said.

Iverson said he would bespending much of his lobbyingeffort “defending the core of ourbusiness,” but said it wouldn’t beeasy.

“Managing all the movingparts (of so many bills) is thehardest part of this.”

One of the few bills the MTAwill introduce would codify con-cession agreements to standardizeand simplify them.

Here are some of the changesproposed:

• Limiting concession agree-ment to one per license;

• Limiting concession agree-ments to an independently operat-ing license;

• Limiting fraternal organiza-tions from entering into conces-sion agreements.

Though current concessionagreements would be grandfa-thered, Iverson said the proposedchanges will ease the misuse andabuse of concession agreements inthe future

Another measure (House Bill35 introduced Jan. 17 by Rep. EdButtery, R-Great Falls) would per-manently change the state’sprocess to award liquor licenses toan auction system. The state for-merly held lotteries for newlyavailable liquor licenses but duringa special session in November2017 called to fix a revenue short-age, lawmakers changed to a com-petitive bidding process in aneffort to increase state revenues.The bill also would clarify how tobreak up combined quota areas,such as the Belgrade-Bozemanarea.

The MTA supports the billbecause the previous lottery systemgave away valuable licenses forfree. In fact, some businesseswould try to cheat the lottery sys-tem by creating dozens of limitedlicense companies and enteringmultiple times. Iverson said thenew bill would eliminate thatactivity.

“People who play by the rulesdeserve to be treated fairly,” hesaid.

Another issue the MontanaTavern Association is pushing foris increasing the penalties forminors who use fake IDs. Thoughthe use of fake IDs “is a real prob-lem,” Iverson said, the industry hasstruggled to get regulators onboard with the MTA proposal. TheMTA isn’t giving up, though.

“The tavern industry is work-ing to fight underage drinking,”Iverson said. “We want to addressthis issue.”

The MTA is monitoring poten-tial legislation on a variety of otherissues, Iverson said, including like-ly proposals from breweries anddistilleries to expand their hoursand from Blackjack proponents tolegalize the game. The MTA isstaunchly opposed to both meas-ures.

Association businessIn MTA-specific business,

MTA Executive Director MargaretHerriges said the MTA website isthe place to find information aboutindustry-specific legislation duringthe current session. Members canalso find out what legislative dis-trict they’re in, and who their leg-islators are. Tips for contactinglegislators, directions on how tolook up bill details, and links to theMontana Code Annotated areavailable as well.

“We provide all the informa-tion and tools you need. It’s all onthe website,” she said. “Just useyour members-only log-in.”

Budget and Finance CommitteeChairman Bruce McColloughreported that the organization’sfinancials “look really good.” Headded that the MTA office now hasnew sidewalks and a re-paved (Continued on next page)

DAX CETRARO, president of the Montana Tavern Association,leads a discussion on a variety of issues during the MTA’s Boardof Directors meeting Jan. 15 in Helena.

Paul Tash photo


By Jorie TashMontana Tavern TimesThe Montana Tavern

Association’s Public Relations andMembership Committee met Jan.15 in Helena to discuss a variety ofbusiness, including SWIG406 tav-ern recruitment and further devel-opment of the free drink app.

The committee reviewed ana-lytics for SWIG, the MTA’s mobileapp that allows users to receive afree drink at participating Montanabars, and found that app down-loads, paid subscriptions and thenumber of registered users have allbeen trending upward. After thecommittee’s holiday campaign,which featured posters with QRcodes for easy downloading, thenumber of registered users is “dou-ble what they [app developers]consider to be good growth,” saidMargaret Herriges, executive direc-tor of the MTA. Developers havealso added a feature that will notifyusers that their subscription isabout to run out before their on-filecard is charged, a fix for users whofound their subscription renewingitself with no warning.

Further, six more bars, includ-ing the Iron Horse Bar and Grill inMissoula and Taco Treat AmigoLounge in Great Falls, have beenadded to the list of participants,bringing the total of registered tav-erns to 74. Committee member andMTA President Dax Cetrarostressed that “we need a strongerbar base,” since more participatingtaverns equals more free drinks orother deals available to the SWIGcustomer and raises the value ofthe service.

The committee discussed arange of ideas to increase tavernparticipation with SWIG, includingadding all MTA members to theapp as a membership benefit, butdecided against it for the timebeing, in case some MTA membersdid not want to be on the app,despite the fact that it’s free. Thecommittee stressed the need forparticipating bar owners to lead byexample and add upcoming eventsto the app.

“What a quick and easy way tosee what’s going on in an area,”noted committee member TanyaHarper, and that “whether [cus-

PR committee continues SWIG push

tomers] get something free or not,it’s useful” to have an app with thepotential to show consumers whatevents are occurring in bars allacross Montana. Owners can “helpus make [their] place more appeal-ing” by adding such events to theapp, said Harper. She also pro-posed recruiting national distribu-tors such as Coors and Budweiserto advertise on the app, whichcould help eliminate the subscrip-tion cost for users in the future.

The committeeis also planning oncontacting countytavern associationsand hosting SWIGnights wheremembers cancome see the bene-fits of the appfirsthand. The event would alsoteach tavern owners how to beadministrators for their bars’ pages,customizing them as needed andadding pictures, events, and spe-cials.

As Cetraro said in his blog

Presidential Perspectives, featuredon the MTA website: “We’veheard a lot of members say theyare going to ‘wait and see’ how theapp does; my friends, if we all dothat, I guarantee you the app willfail.”

Tavern participation is vital,committee members agreed, as thefunds raised by the app (andpotential advertising revenue in thefuture) go towards helping theMTA fight legislation that would

harm the industryand bolster legis-lation that wouldhelp it.

“We don’twant to have tocut back on ouradvocacy effortsat a time when our

businesses are being threatenedmore than ever,” said Cetraro. “Wewant to expand our services tomembers, not reduce them.”

The newest addition to theSWIG marketing family are promocards, which members can pur-

chase from the MTA office for $5each and feature a number codethat can be redeemed for a one-month subscription to be given asgifts, prizes, and promotions. Thecard also features a QR code tosimplify the download process.Those interested in purchasingthese cards should contact Herrigesfor more information.

In other committee news, theMTA is partnering with BMI, amusic licensing company, to securea minimum of a 5 percent discountin annual licensing fees for MTAmembers, and Herriges said barscould receive as much as 20 per-cent off. More information on howthat can be achieved is available atbmi.com. The association is alsoworking to allow membership duesto be paid gradually and/or prorat-ed, to encourage members to signup at any time of the year.

Finally, the MTA job board willsoon be up and running at mttav-erns.org. Employers looking to hireshould contact Herriges for moreinformation.

(Continued from previous page)parking lot, thanks to the stateDepartment of Transportation.

This year’s MTA convention isSept. 9-11 in Sidney, andBachmeier, who also serves as thePublic Relations Committee chair-man, said he expects the easternMontana town to roll out the redcarpet.

“Folks there are excited to haveus,” he said.

National outlookSteve Morris, a national direc-

tor for the MTA, reported that oralarguments have been heard in acourt case originating out ofTennessee that is challenging the21st Amendment, which grants

states the right to regulate alcohol.The case is a threat to the three-

tier system Montana and manyother states use to control alcohol,Morris said. The AmericanBeverage Licensees, the MTA'sparent organization, has filed anamicus brief in the case and isdonating to the legal defense fund.

He also urged tavern owners to

register for the ABL AnnualMeeting set for March 24-26 at theBally’s Hotel and Casino in LasVegas. Those registered for theABL also get free admittance to theNight Club and Bar Show going onat the same time.

Morris is currently president ofthe national ABL. His term ends inMarch at the meeting.

MTA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Margaret Herrigesdiscusses the MTA’s SWIG406 free-drink phoneapp during the organization’s Public Relations

and Membership Committee meeting Jan. 15 inHelena. Committee Chairman Chad Bachmeierlooks on at right.

Jorie Tash photo


GERALD W. STEINBRENNER

MILODRAGOVICH, DALE, STEINBRENNER P.C.Attorneys

GERALD W. STEINBRENNER(406) 728-1455Fax (406) 549-7077E-Mail: [email protected] www.bigskylawyers.com

P.O. Box 4947620 High Park Way

Missoula MT 59806-4947

Liquor License Transfers, Gaming Applications,Real Estate, Business Sales, and Estate Planninglating body for any sports betting

in Montana;• Sports betting will only be

allowed at locations that have theappropriate alcohol license with agambling operator’s license;

• Sports betting will be kiosk-based and limited to the licensedpremises;

• Sports betting will be taxed ata rate of 8.5 percent of the grossamount bet, less payouts to win-ners and federal gaming tax;

• GCD should have the abilityto track the location of kiosks andwill charge a permit fee of $100for each kiosk;

• Funding to regulatesports betting will comefrom tax revenueslevied against sportsbetting operators;

• Mobile bettingwill be allowed, but willbe restricted to thelicensed premises;

• Minimum betting age will be18;

• The effective date of anysports betting bill should be oneyear from the date of passage.

Some discussion took placeabout the feasibility of geofencingeach location to ensure betting isrestricted to each location. GIAmember Steve Arntzen said strictgeofencing of a location requires asite survey that could run geofenc-ing costs up to $25,000 per loca-tion. (Arntzen announced at themeeting that his company has part-nered with the global sports bookRoar Digital to provide sports-bet-ting in Montana – story on Page 3).

However, industry reps after

Bettingfrom Page 1

the meeting questioned those costestimates, and also said other tech-nology, such as wi-fi, could beused to inexpensively limit the bet-ting to licensed premises.

Access control billThe GIA discussed “access

control” legislation that wouldallow casino workers to keep pub-lic entrances locked until a patronor investigator buzzes in, a practicecurrently illegal as the Departmentof Revenue requires immediateaccess to establishments duringbusiness hours. Peterson said thebill requires operators obtain aform from the GCD requesting theability to control access with abuzz-in system. The GCD, the

Alcohol Beverage ControlDivision, and local lawenforcement wouldhave to sign off on aform before a businesscan utilize the sys-tems.(Update: The access-

control legislation, SenateBill 119, sponsored by Sen.

Mark Blasdel, R-Kalispell, washeard Jan. 22 by the SenateBusiness, Labor and EconomicAffairs Committee. The committeepassed the bill 10-0, then theSenate passed it 50-0 on Jan. 29and transmitted it to the House.)

Other legislation the GIA ismonitoring include a potentialmeasure to legalize blackjack, oneto legalize historical horse racingslot machines, and one to legalizeelectronic player tracking (seeMTA story on Page 1). The GIA isaligned with other industry groupsto oppose blackjack and historicalhorse racing machines. It has nottaken a position on electronic play-er tracking.


Anheuser-Busch ads ready for Super BowlLiquor Biz

By Paul F. VangBy the time this issue of

Tavern Times shows up in yourmailbox, the Super Bowl (anddon’t expect Roman numerals) willprobably be history. Because ofadvance deadlines, I didn’t evenknow who would be playing in thegame, other than knowing all toowell that my team, the MinnesotaVikings, won’t be there, unlessthey bought tickets.

Hopefully the game will be anentertaining game, but if not, wehave the ads.

USA Today reported, in mid-January, that Anheuser-Buschwould be the biggest advertiser thisyear, with a full 5 ½ minutes ofairtime. Marcel Marcondes, ABInBev’s chief marketing officercommented, “We’re making a verybold decision…this is probably thelargest airtime ever that we aregoing to have as a company.

AB InBev’s ad buy includesfour 45-second spots, three 30-sec-ond spots and one 60-second spot.Super Bowl ads were expected tocost over $5 million for 30 sec-onds, though Marcondes didn’t saywhat the company would be pay-ing, but he did comment, “It is ameaningful investment …”

The big question most viewerswould have is whether theBudweiser horses would be backthis year.

Ad Age was predicting, prior tothe game, that ads would likelyhave a lot of humor and would bemore welcoming to female view-ers, with one company suggestingthat ads would trend towards “amore holistic viewership that theSuper Bowl attracts.”

Ad Age also predicted that themajority of marketers would besteering clear of political themes intheir ads.

Pizza, beer & Super BowlIt’s not exactly a secret that a

lot of pizza and beer get consumedon Super Bowl Sunday. Accordingto Forbes, 67 percent more pizza iseaten on that day than on typicalbusiness days, plus nearly 50 mil-

lion cases of beer are sold nation-wide in the two weeks prior to thebig game.

Last year, Pizza Hut did sometest marketing for adding beerdelivery along with pizza deliver-ies. The company evidently likedthe results because they’re expand-ing beer delivery, by mid-January,to nearly 300 restaurants acrossFlorida, Iowa, Nebraska, NorthCarolina and Ohio, as well as theinitial test markets in Californiaand Arizona. They project that theywill have beer delivery at over athousand restaurants by this sum-mer.

Beer choices include BlueMoon, Bud Light, Coors Light,Corona Extra, Michelob Ultra,Shock Top, and several others.Prices will likely vary dependingon the local market, but will gener-ally range from $3 to $5 for a two-pack, and $6 to $12 for a 6-pack.

Pizza Hut’s chief brand officerMarianne Radley commented thatthere’s a proven demand for beerdelivery. Also, some 1,799 PizzaHut locations already have a liquorlicense, making it easy to providethe service.

The Forbes report also notesthat increasing beer sales is “likestriking gold.” Profit margins for abottle of beer average around 75percent, way more than the 20 per-cent profit margin for pizza.

Resorts dread DUI lawOn Dec. 30, 2018, Utah’s new

drunk driving law went into effect,lowering the blood alcohol contentlimit for driving under the influ-ence from 0.08 to 0.05.

The Salt Lake Tribune talkedto skiers and other tourists aboutthe new law and many told theTribune that while they like tocome to Utah for skiing and snow-boarding, they’re planning to findnew destinations.

One person, interviewed whilehe was drinking a PolygamyPorter from Wasatch Brewing,said, pointing at his beer can, “thiscould push me over that limit. It’san incentive not to come here. If Ihave to choose between possiblygetting a DUI or going to anotherstate, I’m going to go to anotherstate. It’s too risky.”

A visitor from California said,“It’s not worth it. You are now acriminal for having a beer at din-ner or a glass of wine.”

A New Jersey visitor did someadvance planning for his Utah trip,booking an Airbnb apartmentwithin walking distance from afew breweries. He said it didn’tchange his plans to visit Utah, butit did make him do some addition-al planning.

It’s still probably too early todetermine the impact of the newlaw, but it’s obvious that some vis-itors are wary of coming back.

MillerCoors cuts breweryBack in November,

MillerCoors and Pabst settled acourt action in which MillerCoorsagreed to continue brewing PabstBlue Ribbon and other Pabstbrews.

A month after the settlement,MillerCoors sold a 1,400-acrebrewing facility in Eden, NC, to ademolition company for $2.75million – basically the value of theland.

MillerCoors purchased theproperty from the former MillerBrewing Company in July 2008for $53,598,000. In 2015, Pabstoffered to buy it for $100 million.MillerCoors made a counter offerof $750 million, which the compa-ny said was what a new, state ofthe art facility was worth.

According to a Beer BusinessDaily report, the question is why

did MillerCoors pass on sellingthe facility to Pabst and then takea big loss? The best guess is thatMillerCoors recognizes that thereis already too much brewingcapacity in North America, andthat taking a loss on the sale was abetter move than selling it to Pabstand giving them the capacity toundercut MillerCoors in pricingand flooding the market.

The BBD report concludes,“Say what you will aboutMillerCoors chief Gavin Hattersly,but as a numbers guy he playedthis one ruthlessly right.”

Shutdown creates wavesShortly after the government

shutdown began in late December,Fortune reported that the shut-down was already making animpact on breweries and wineries.An immediate impact was thatuntil the government reopens,there won’t be any new beer orwine releases.

Breweries and wineries needfederal approval for productlabels, which means anythingneeding a new label is stuck. Inaddition, craft brewing start-upsthat need license approval arestuck in limbo.

In a follow-up, a Spokane TVstation, KXLY, reported that aWashington D.C. brewery sued theTrump Administration over theshutdown because “the administra-tion is harming its free speechrights by requiring compliancewith a federal law administered byan agency whose operations arenot funded through the shutdown.”

Mars wine plannedScientists and viticulturists

from the Republic of Georgia areplanning ahead in a big way.According to www.thedrinksbusi-ness.com, Georgia, which has beenmaking wine for 8,000 years, andcurrently grows some 800 grapevarieties, is looking at becomingthe first to grow grapes and makewine on the red planet.

Nikoloz Doborjginidze,founder of Georgia’s SpaceAgency, commented, “If we’regoing to live on Mars one day,Georgia needs to contribute. Ourancestors brought wine to Earth,so we can do the same to Mars.”

Meanwhile, science students atVillanova University were given asample of Martian soil and foundthat with some enrichment, hopsand rye grow “fairly well.”

For the time being, I’ll makedo with domestic (Earth that is)wine and beer.

Montana Tavern Times – 16 February 2019

ORVILLE JOHNSON,above right, asks for somehelp from Ashley Patera topick out a liquor basket hewon during the Gallatin Co.

Licensed BeverageAssociation dinner Jan. 22in Bozeman. Emcee Ralph

Ferraro, right, calls out someraffle numbers, and JentryLalim shows off a mirror hewon, with help from ChelseyPatera. In the photo below,left to right, Hillary Carls,Sherene Blackford, KathyBushnell, Emma Henningand Shelbi Dobie are allsmiles after enjoying the

evening’s activities.

Paul Tash photos

Gallatin bar owners turn out for charityBy Paul Tash

Montana Tavern TimesA large, jovial contingent of

tavern owners and their supporterspacked Bozeman’s GranTree Jan.22 for the 44th edition of theGallatin County LicensedBeverage Association dinner andfundraiser.

The night began with a hostedcocktail party, with partygoerskeeping three open bars busy.Appetizers, including stuffed meat-balls, mushrooms and shrimp wereplentiful and delicious. When thedinner bell rang at about 8 p.m., asit-down dinner awaited, featuringprime rib, red potatoes and sea-soned asparagus,

“We’re going to have a lot offun, give away a lot of cash, andraise a lot of money for charity,”longtime emcee Ralph Ferrarosaid. Dinner-goers showed theirfestive mood by singing happybirthday to the popular Ferraro,who recently had turned 72.

Throughout the night, severalraffles were held, as several luckydinner-goers won prizes includingcash and gift baskets. After dinner,Dean Folkvord, proprietor of theSacajawea Hotel in Three Forks,served as auctioneer for the six-item live auction that included aspa and boutique package, a ChicoHot Springs getaway, a NASCARpackage, and a National FinalsRodeo package.

The traditional 11-seatfundraiser finished off the evening.Winning the drawings for the seatsat the head table were JustinKuntz, Jack Pot East, Black EagleBrewing, High Horse, OldChicago, Silverman Law Firm,Grand Vision Gaming, CascadeCo. Tavern Association, HiltonGarden Inn, and Kimmie’s. BlackEagle Brewing won the grand prizeof $2,000. The Cascade Co. TavernAssociation won second and $500,while Kimmie’s grabbed thirdplace and $300.

The Gallatin County LBA din-ner is a fundraiser for several areacharities chosen by theorganization. For example,the Gallatin County LBA isan annual financial support-er of the Cody DierufBenefit Foundation, whichprovides local support tothose suffering from cysticfibrosis. Cody Dieruf diedin April 2005 from the dis-ease, and her family estab-lished the Foundation in hermemory.

In addition, the localtavern association annuallysupports the SpecialOlympics, Big Brothers andSisters, Downtown BusinessPartners and many others.


Montana Tavern TimesThe Gambling Control

Division (GCD) released its bien-nial report last month that outlinesthe division’s activities from fiscalyears 2017-2018, provides a vari-ety of statistical information andidentifies legislative proposals.

According to the 26-pagereport, video gambling machinetax collections, “a key indicator forthe industry,” generally plateauedwith a .95 percent decrease in fis-cal year 2017 and .56 percentincrease in fiscal year 2018. Aswith last biennium, the tax collec-tions provided about $120 millionto the state general fund over thereporting period, with over 90 per-cent of tax revenue distributed intothe state general fund.

The division, the report said,issued about 19,000 permits forvideo gambling machines each fis-cal year with an average of 16,700machines active each quarter,down about 1.8 percent comparedto FY15 and FY16.

Operator license fees weredown in 2018, falling to $93,186from $104,326 in 2017, about a 10percent decrease. Route operatorfee revenue, however, rose by 7percent in 2018 from the yearbefore, and keno/bingo permit fee

GCD provides ‘17-’18 info in biennial reportrevenue rose by over 25 percent.Fine and penalty fees also rose sig-nificantly in 2018, with a 39 per-cent increase from the previous fis-cal year for a total of $51,761, upfrom $31,135 in 2017.

The report said “a substantialportion” of the division’s workrelates to alcoholic beveragelicensing, auditing, inspecting andinvestigating. For example, it said37 percent of the applicationsreceived by the division in FY17and FY18 were for alcohol-onlylicenses, 60 percent were for alco-hol and gaming licenses, and only3 percent were for gaming-onlylicenses. Also, 49 percent of thepremise inspections completed byGCD staff were done at locationswith an alcohol beverage licensewithout a gaming license. Theother 51 percent of inspectionswere done at locations with both agaming operator license and analcoholic beverage license.

The division continued its rela-tionship with the industry-fundedMontana Council on ProblemGambling, the report said, and col-laborated with it on several out-reach projects during March’sProblem Gambling AwarenessMonth and throughout the year.

The Gaming Advisory Council,

which works closely with theGCD, met five times during thereporting period, the report said.The council discussed a number oftopics, appointed subcommittees toprovide recommendations to theGCD on matters requiring in-depthresearch and reviewed all gaming-related administrative rule propos-als.

Council-supported GCD legis-lation to be introduced this legisla-tive session addresses several top-ics, including heads-or-tails games,antique gambling devices, and

sports pools, the report said. TheGCD proposes to authorize “headsor tails” games as a fundraisingactivity for nonprofits. The legisla-tion also will seek to remove anyreference to “illegal” antique gam-ing devices and change definitionsof antique devices to be at least 30years old instead of 25.

Division legislation also is pro-posing an amendment to existinglaw to include clarificationsregarding the need for sports-poolholders to have the appropriatealcohol license.

• Specializing in putting buyers and sellers

together for merger and acquisition of businesses

• Past beer and wine wholesaler in Montana and

Arizona

• 22 years experience in alcohol-related businesses

• Seeking listings in Tavern, Restaurant and

Gaming Industry

“I’m looking forward to meeting many of my old-timefriends and getting to know new acquaintances. If I’mgiven the opportunity to work for you, I don’t believeyou will find anyone who will work harder than I will.”

Buying or selling your business? I can help!

404 N. 31st Street, Suite 205P.O. Box 7225Billings, MT 59103-7225

Cell: 406 425-0180E-mail: [email protected]

DunhamRealEstateServices.com

Dunham Real Estate Services

Cheri's Montana LoungeHwy 2 Chester, MT

A full beverage liquor license,live & machine gaming, andmany updates! Also includes anoffice, 2 bathrooms, poker roomarea and more! Includes a 2,400sf building on a 12,600 sf lot.This is a great turn-key busi-ness opportunity! See photos atwww.Bootleggermontana.com. $175,000. Contact Tyler Streit, Bootlegger Realty, 406-759-5560, or [email protected].

Grand Bar & Grill,plus apartment!

Hwy 2 Chester, MTThis established business has afull liquor license, grill with sepa-rate dining area, live & machinegaming, established clientele, andan attached 1 bdrm, 1 bath apart-ment! Building is 2,941sf, lot is12,600 sf. Check out photos atwww.Bootleggermontana.com.$295,000. Contact Tyler Streit atBootlegger Realty, 406-759-5560,or [email protected].


LICENSES FOR SALE

LICENSES FOR SALE

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

LICENSE WANTED

LICENSE FOR TRADE

Floatable all beverage liquor licensewith gaming. Price negotiable. Call406-789-2208.

BUSINESSES FOR SALE BUSINESSES FOR SALEBUSINESSES FOR SALE

Just $4.50 per line

[email protected]

MTT • Buy • Sell • Trade

DAVE'S 2019 TIPSFOR SELLING YOUR BAR My advice is simple. You’veundoubtedly worked very hardin your bar/restaurant over theyears. Pick someone who worksat least as hard, and totallyunderstands the hospitality busi-ness! Contact me for a free con-sultation, and I’ll explain howI’ll market your property.

Club Bar, Ronan, Mt.Price reduction - now $399,999!Bozeman Real Estate Group

Dave Everett Realtor®406-600-0647

[email protected]

PRICE REDUCED!All-beverage liquor license withgaming & catering available inGreat Falls, as is entire alcoholinventory. Owner motivated to sell.Call 907-252-6493 or [email protected].

Billing beer and wine license withgaming. – Bob Pulley, broker, 670-7947

I currently possess a beer/wine license(with gaming) in Billings, MT. I wantto trade this license (and CASH) for afull liquor license (with gaming) inBillings. Call Dennis at 715-760-1061.

TURN KEY PROFITABLE neigh-borhood business with all equipment &fixtures. Great clientele, pool & dartleagues. Excellent gaming casino withextra serving station just for machines.Kitchen and dining area, lots of stor-age. High traffic count. Great exposure& easy access to the large parking lot.$1,250,000. 18-421. Call Century 21McDonald Realty 406-761-2811.

Floatable all-beverage liquor license with gaming

Current city license in Laurel MT.Negotiable. For information [email protected].

Cart Wheel Casino & Liquor Store – 1900 10th Ave S – Great FallsTurn-key casino & liquor store. Room to expand. High roadway traf-fic – about 40,000 vehicles per day. The growing University ofProvidence is only one block away. Sale includes land, building,

liquor license, FF&E. $1,465,000.

Dawn McKenney, realtor ®Keller Williams Realty406-868-3209

Everything in bar for sale at rea-sonable price. Appliances, fixtures,and furnishings; long front barwith double stainless steel sinks,one single sink and washbowl.Back bar includes under-the-counter shelves with 2 cabinets oneach end. Three coolers: onestanding, one under the counterand one draft cooler. Also one icemachine, two fridges, onemicrowave, two large pizza ovens,glass plates, silverware, bar glass-es and mugs, pool table and sticks,six table and chairs, and six over-the-bar ceiling lights. Call forprice! I'll make you a real bargainif you take it all. Call 406-323-2347.

On-premise beer and wine licensewith gaming available for sale inWhitefish. Priced to sell at$125,000 or make an offer. Theoperation’s location has beensold – we are not interested inmoving the license to new locationand would like a sale to be com-pleted early in 2019. Call Jeff at406-868-4284.

Wanted, Helena full beveragelicense with gaming. Call 406-370-2801.

One Casino King slant; oneBrilliant Bet slant. $3,500 each, or best offer. Contact Glen at 406-788-1553.

Beer and wine license for sale.$18,900. MT retail on-premisesconsumption restaurant beer andwine license number 05-601-3995-40. Contact Alice at [email protected] or 406-439-8693.

Restaurant Beer/Wine license inHamilton. Call 406-546-9995.

State of Montana Agency Liquor Store for sale

Store located in a YellowstoneNational Park (YNP) gatewayresort town. YNP had over 4.1million visitors in 2017. ContactJoel Siverman at 406-449-4829 [email protected] bar

in Clyde Park, MTLocally owned, well establishedbar in Clyde Park, MT. Theowner is ready to retire and sellit ALL! Huge clientele of localsand tourists. Antlers Bar is 20minutes from Livingston onUS-89 heading to White Sulfur.Owner is selling ALL inventory(except leased items) with thebusiness, inlcuding a 2002Dodge quad-cab pickup and2004 4-wheeler with snowplow.Liquor license [email protected]

Robin Martell406-671-1914

betting plan taking shapetavern opinion/editorial times — upcoming events — feb. 11 hi-line...

Documents