Department Of Justice Gambling Control Division

Through the Gambling Control Division, the Department of Justice regulates all forms of gambling in Montana, except for the Montana Lottery and horse racing. The legislature has charged the Division with maintaining a uniform regulatory climate that is fair and free of corrupt influences. We are a service company that can help you file with the Montana Department of Justice - Gambling Control Division. We are not associated with this nor any other government agency. We offer a paid service to help you file. You are not required to purchase our service to file - you may file directly with this agency without using our service.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Gambling Device Registration Unit at the Criminal Division has adjusted its normal operations to balance the need of completing its mission as effectively and efficiently as possible while also adhering to the recommended social distancing for the safety of our staff. As a result, you may experience a delay in receiving responses to telephone inquiries. We will be able to respond to requests made by e-mail more quickly than those by telephone, however if you wish to make a telephone inquiry, please include the e-mail address to which the response should be sent. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience.

The Gambling Devices Act of 1962, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1171-1178, requires registration by any person or entity engaged in the business of manufacturing, repairing, reconditioning, buying, selling, leasing, using, or making available for use by others any gambling device before any such device enters interstate or foreign commerce. Registration is to be requested in writing each calendar year prior to engaging in business and is effective on the date all required information is received at the Department of Justice. The request for registration should include the registrant’s name and each trade name under which the registrant does business, the address of each of the registrant’s places of business, the street address in any state or possession of the United States where the gambling device records can be viewed, the officers’ or owners’ names and titles, and the activities the registrant intends to engage in during the calendar year as described in section 1173 of the statute.

The Department of Justice will not render advisory opinions as to whether specific devices are covered by the statute, nor will it undertake to answer any inquiries relating to specific situations. Such questions should be directed to private counsel.

To register, please complete the Request for Registration form on a PC running Microsoft Windows, or Mac. NOTE: Adobe Acrobat Reader for Windows or Mac is required to use this form; tablets or mobile devices are not supported. Depending on your computer's configuration, the form may not open within your browser. If that is the case please save the form to your computer before opening it. Make sure Adobe Acrobat Reader is used to open the form, not any other PDF viewers (i.e. Foxit is not supported.)

There is no fee to register. Confirmation of your request will be e-mailed to you once it has been approved and processed. Please allow approximately 3 to 4 weeks for processing; during the annual registration period (begins December 1 of each year through March of the following year), please allow approximately 6 to 8 weeks for processing. Mailed or faxed registrations are no longer accepted.

Contact Information

Email: Gambling.Registration@usdoj.gov (preferred method of contact)

Telephone: 202-353-0888

If you have any questions, please read our Frequently Asked Questions, Gambling Device Act of 1962 Information Sheet, and Tips on Completing a Registration Request before contacting us. Please contact us by e-mail, however, if e-mail is unavailable to you, you may leave a message at (202) 353-0888.

Gambling Device Registration Information

Department Of Justice Gambling Control Division Regulation

The California Bureau of Gambling Control is a regulatory agency that is part of the California Department of Justice. It regulates legal gambling activities in California to ensure that gambling is conducted honestly, competitively, and free from criminal and corruptive elements. It is one of two agencies in California regulating gambling, along with the California Gambling Control Commission.

The Bureau is also responsible for tracking the identity, prior activities, and present location of all gambling enterprise employees, and for ensuring that all gambling enterprise employees hold a valid work permit. Work permits may be issued by the local authority, or by the California Gambling Control Commission in jurisdictions where a locally issued work permit is not required.

Department Of Justice Gambling Control Division Act

State gaming agencies and the Tribal Government work together to develop and implement a means of regulating Class III gaming on tribal lands to ensure the fair and honest operations of gaming. The Bureau investigates the qualifications of individuals who work as key employees in the tribal casinos, vendors who sell gaming resources to the tribes, as well as financial sources to determine whether they are suitable under the Gambling Control Act (Act) (867, statutes of 1997).^[1]

Department Of Justice Gambling Control Division Rules

History and background[edit]

Before 1998, California's gambling industry was essentially unregulated. In 1984, the Legislature enacted the 'Gaming Registration Act,' which required the Attorney General's office to provide uniform, minimum regulation of California card rooms. However, the scope of the Attorney General's authority was extremely limited and funding was inadequate. Recognizing the need for broader oversight of California's gambling industry, the Legislature enacted the 'Gambling Control Act' (Chapter 867, statutes of 1997).

In March 2000, the voters of California passed Proposition 1A which amended the California Constitution to permit Class III (casino-style) gaming on Indian land, provided that such activities are authorized by a tribal ordinance and conducted in conformity with a gaming compact entered into between the tribe and the state. The tribe and the state share a joint interest in ensuring that tribal gaming activities are free from criminal and other undesirable elements. While the tribe maintains the primary responsibility for on-site regulation of gaming operations, the state is ultimately responsible for ensuring compliance with all aspects of the compact.

The Gambling Control Act (Business and Professions Code section 19800 et seq.) created a comprehensive scheme for statewide regulation of legal gambling under a bifurcated system of administration involving the Bureau of Gambling Control within the Attorney General's Office and the five-member California Gambling Control Commission appointed by the governor. The commission is authorized to establish minimum regulatory standards for the gambling industry, and ensure that state gambling licenses are not issued to or held by unsuitable or unqualified individuals.

The licensing and enforcement staff of the Bureau monitor the conduct of gaming operations to ensure compliance with state gambling laws and conduct in-depth background investigations of the qualifications of applicants for state gambling licenses, work permits, and registrations. Background checks are done for all key employee and state gambling licenses and vendor applicants. Suitability is determined by several factors including the applicant's honesty, integrity, general character, reputation, habits, and financial and criminal history. The Bureau also reviews and approves contracts between third party providers of proposition players and card rooms. Each contract or qualifying amendment must be submitted to the Bureau for prior approval.^[2]

The Bureau inspects premises where gambling is conducted; examine gambling equipment, audit papers, books, and records of the gambling establishment; investigate suspected violations of gambling laws; coordinate multi-jurisdictional investigations; investigate complaints lodged against licensees by the public; initiate disciplinary action where appropriate; and provide for the immediate preservation of the public's health, safety, and welfare. Local law enforcement agencies maintain concurrent jurisdiction for investigating suspected violations of gambling laws and may issue work permits.

Department Of Justice Gambling Control Division Definition

See also[edit]

External links[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^'Regulations'. State of California - Department of Justice - Office of the Attorney General. 2012-03-21. Retrieved 2020-11-06.
2. ^'History of the Office of the Attorney General'. State of California - Department of Justice - Office of the Attorney General. 2011-01-20. Retrieved 2020-11-06.