HELENA, Mont. — Montana became the first state to legalize sports betting this year after Gov. Steve Bullock signed a bill on Friday allowing the state lottery to oversee a system of wagering through kiosks and mobile applications that could be running by fall.
Montana is at the head of a wave of states passing legislation this year to allow gambling on sports, and it is the seventh state to legalize the practice since the U.S. Supreme Court allowed it nationwide last year.
Tennessee’s governor will allow a bill in that state to become law without his signature. Bills passed by lawmakers in Iowa and Indiana are awaiting action by the governors.