The "Magic City" Billings, MT Area Links Buyer & Seller Solutions     HOSPITALITY BROKERAGE       Bars, Restaurants & Casino’s Diamond Realtors is experienced assisting both buyers and sellers in the purchase and sale of businesses involving Liquor Licenses and Beer & Wine Licenses.  The current price of both types of Licenses has risen to the point of being a huge part of the cost of either buying a business or starting a new one.  The fact that Montana operates on a quota system based on population and need, and the popularity of Gaming, has had a dramatic effect on the price of Licenses.  Unless you have a franchise, most licenses are used with businesses involving gaming at some level. The licensing process is an extensive time consuming exercise often taking six months or more to complete.  We understand the process and many of the players.  Our over 40 years of combined extensive experience both operating and selling Bars, Restaurants & Casino’s, gives us great insight into the industry and the local market. Motels & Hotels Diamond Realtors in a member of the American Motel Hotel Brokers Network.  The Global Hospitality Network serves the lodging industry; motel, hotel, resort and bed & breakfast. The AMHB showcases properties on the internet using the latest technology to expose properties and match buyers and sellers. We assist sellers, determining value, marketability, provide global exposure and work for the owner from listing thru closing.  We assist buyers to locate properties, with the financing from purchase thru close. American Motel Hotel Brokers Network. . . AMHB, is one of Century 22’s Lodging and Hospitality Companies. AMHB is America’s oldest and most recognized Brand Name in the sales and marketing of Lodging and Hospitality properties in the United States and Foreign Countries. Our endeavors serve both Professional Real Estate Broker/Agents, Sellers and Investors. An AMHB Network Broker has many years of valued knowledge and experience in the sale of Motels, Hotels, Resorts, Casinos, Bed & Breakfasts and Assisted Living Care Facilities. The website serves as a tool for those who utilize it to their benefit. As AMHB Network continues to expand throughout the U.S. and Foreign Countries, so will our services and our website information to you, the end user. We encourage you to visit us often American Motel Hotel Brokers Network Licenses & Gambling Montana differs from many gaming jurisdictions in that gaming was legalized largely to assure a reliable and badly needed revenue stream for local and state government, while allowing the state's small, family-owned taverns to earn the income to replace losses from declining sales of beverage alcohol. Of course, having another entertainment option in this rural state is also widely appreciated (78 percent of Montana adults gamble in some form or another). So, when gambling was introduced, it was done so with strict limitations: - Only legal residents who have met rigorous screening processes to assure good character can hold alcohol licenses. - Individuals can only own one all-beverage alcohol license, but can own numerous beer and wine licenses. - Only alcohol licensees, after additional strict scrutiny, can apply for and be awarded gambling licenses. - Montana restricts the availability of alcohol licenses—and thus gambling licenses—using a quota system that limits and apportions licenses based on a given local jurisdiction's population, but also convenience and necessity. - The number of licensed establishments has, thus, held relatively constant over the last decade and was at 1,675 as of Sept. 30, 2004. - Each licensed location is allowed a maximum of only 20 machines (some Las Vegas casinos have upwards of 4,000 machines under one roof!). - Montana has issued permits for about 17,300 machines as of July 1, 2004. That is roughly an average of a little more than 10 machines per licensed location. - Video gaming accounts for most of all wagering in Montana. Yet it is very limited—especially compared to Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Deadwood (South Dakota), Indian casinos and the like, which may have no limits. - Video game wagers are a 25-cent minimum and are limited to a maximum of $2. Prizes (other than some Montana tribal venues) are limited to $800. - Montana machines must, under law, return at least 80 percent of wagers as prizes, but in reality, because of competitive considerations, are returning on average more than 90 percent. - Only a limited number of games are allowed including, live and video poker, keno and bingo; state lottery, pari-mutuel racing, raffles, calcuttas, sports pools and tabs, shake-a-day and other clearly small-time wagering. - No significant legislation has been introduced to expand gambling since 1991. The State of Montana collects 15% tax on the Video Gaming Machines Gross Net income with one third going into the State General Fund and the remaining two thirds goes to the city or county where the machines are located.  Any business sale involving either type of license is a very involved process.  In most cases, a transfer will involve application for a gambling license.  The liquor licenses are controlled by the Revenue Department and the gambling licenses are controlled by the Justice Department.  The applications are processed at the same time, using much of the same information, including the interview conducted by the Justice Department. Contacts: Licensing Department of Revenue Montana Tavern Association Montana Tavern Times 125 West Granite, #102 Butte, MT 59701 Phone: (406) 782-3660 Fax: (406) 782-3661 E-mail: contcom@qwest.net   Gambling Gambling Control Division, Department of Justice Montana Gaming Group Montana Gaming Research & Education Fund Gambling Equipment & Supplies Fleetwood Gaming, Inc. (406) 259-8857 Summit Gaming (406) 652-3239 IGT International Gaming Technology (406) 656-4426 Spielo (406) 652-9594 Montana Gaming Repair (406) 656-5300