Montana Lawmakers Question Intralot Contract Talks
Montana lawmakers are questioning why the state lottery's director, Bob Brown, has refused to grant auditors full access to emails related to contract negotiations with gambling technology supplier Intralot, following a new Legislative Audit Division review that has renewed scrutiny of the deal.
Brown told lawmakers at a September 18 Legislative Audit Committee hearing that he withheld some communications he said had been designated confidential or privileged by attorneys.
Sen. Tom McGillvray (R-Billings) accused the lottery of "obstructing" auditors' attempts to determine whether the contracting process had been transparent and accountable.
The Department of Administration and Governor Greg Gianforte's office were also cited in the audit as having restricted access to some information; a spokesperson for the governor's office said staff participated in interviews with the Legislative Audit Division.
A Contract That Has Drawn Scrutiny Before
Intralot, the Greek-based company that operates games including Montana Millionaire and Montana Sports Bet, one of the state's leading sportsbooks, secured a new seven-year contract with the lottery last year after lawmakers forced the agency to abandon direct negotiations with the incumbent supplier and put the contract out to competitive bid.
The Montana Lottery Commission had voted unanimously in September 2024 to bid the contract competitively, but Brown paused that process to explore an unsolicited proposal from Intralot, a decision that prompted commission members to question whether a "sweetheart deal" was being arranged.
Auditors Still Seeking Answers
After the competitive bidding process was ultimately carried out, Intralot won with an offer of a 5.05% rate on gambling sales, down from its original 8% take, a change the state estimates will save roughly $17.6 million over the seven-year contract.
Auditors have said they were still unable to fully establish how Intralot's unsolicited proposal came about.
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