By Gene Huntington, Administrator
The Gambling Control Division
July marks a couple of important milestones for on-line services at the Gambling Control Division.
Nearly 2,000 video gambling machines reported and paid taxes on-line for the fourth quarter ending July 1, 2007. The operators and routes who were initially involved in the testing of the on-line system completed a full quarter of reporting on-line and paid their taxes electronically.
Additional operators and route operators are signing agreements to test and come on the system in the quarter that began July 1.
The other important change was that the Gambling Control Division approved a second accounting system. With the approval of a second accounting system, under rules adopted by the division, the clock begins to run on establishments getting connected for on-line reporting of taxes. Gambling operators now have a choice between two approved accounting systems or the Gambling Control Division web entry system.
The two approved systems are the CoinConnexion MTXmit system and Century Gaming' Route Track system. These two systems offer operators a complete accounting system and are designed for route operators or larger casino operations. The Division' website offers a complete accounting solution for locations with only a few machines.
Over 1,200 of the 1,668 licensed locations have signed multi-game agreements. The multi-game agreement commits the location to report video gambling taxes on-line when a system becomes available.
Under the rules adopted by the division, accounting systems will be considered available beginning January 1, 2008. The six-month delay is to allow operators time to make a decision on which system they want to use.
After January 1, 2008:
--there will be no new multi-game agreements
--locations that have not signed multi-game agreements will need to use an approved accounting system before they can permit a multi-game machine, and
--the division may give a 60-day notice to any location with a multi-game agreement that the location must begin reporting taxes with an approved accounting system.
As long as operators continue to volunteer to come on-line, however, the division will not notify operators that multi-game agreements will be enforced and that they need to connect within the 60 days.
Over the next few months, the division will be providing informational sessions and training on the web entry system as a way to encourage operators to come on-line.
By Gene Huntington, Administrator
The Gambling Control Division
Source: The Montana Tavern Times, August, 2007, published monthly by Continental Communications, 125 W. Granite St., Suite 102, Butte, MT 59701.