Are Skill-Game Apps Legal in Montana?
This page covers skill-game apps you play on your phone in Montana. Skill machines in Montana bars, gas stations and convenience stores are a separate question this page doesn't cover.
Yes, cash play is on in Montana. Skillz, operated by Firy Inc. (NYSE: FIRY), runs our cash matches and has not switched it off there. Besides Carrom, which has no cash play anywhere yet, the one gap is Ball Pool Cash: its App Store listing names Montana as excluded, so 10 of our 12 games offer cash there. Next door, South Dakota is on that no-cash list, so cash matches stop when you cross into it. Montana taxes personal income, so prizes may also go on your state return.
That status is Skillz's platform decision for Montana, not a court ruling, and states use different skill-versus-chance tests.
Which Atay games offer cash play in Montana
| Game | Cash play in Montana | US App Store listing, checked Sep 24, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Solitaire Real Cash | Available | Lists 7 states, not Montana |
| Gin Rummy Cash | Available | Lists 7 states, not Montana |
| Sugar Cash | Available | Lists 5 states, not Montana |
| Word Money | Available | Lists 5 states, not Montana |
| Bingo Prizes | Available | No state list printed; Skillz allows Montana |
| Block Puzzle | Available | No state list printed; Skillz allows Montana |
| Bubble Prizes | Available | No state list printed; Skillz allows Montana |
| Crossword Cash | Available | No state list printed; Skillz allows Montana |
| Pachinko Cash | Available | No state list printed; Skillz allows Montana |
| Word Search Cash | Available | No state list printed; Skillz allows Montana |
| Ball Pool Cash | Not available | Listing names Montana |
| Carrom | Free play only | Cash not yet enabled (open beta) |
Play in Montana
Every game plays free first, so Montana players can learn one before any entry fee. In Montana, Ball Pool Cash stays in free play.
Browse the gamesHow prizes are taxed in Montana
Montana taxes personal income, so prizes may go on your Montana return. The Montana Department of Revenue decides how Montana treats them. Federally, prizes are taxable income for Montana players with or without a tax form; see 1099s and Skillz winnings under $2,000.
Cash play in states bordering Montana
Crossing from Montana into South Dakota switches cash matches off.
Questions about skill-game apps in Montana
Can I play Atay games for cash in Montana?
Yes, 10 of our 12 games offer cash matches in Montana. Ball Pool Cash's listing excludes Montana; Carrom has no cash play yet.
Does it matter where in Montana I am?
No. Skillz sets eligibility by state from your phone's location, so Billings and Helena get the same answer.
What happens if I cross from Montana into South Dakota?
Cash matches switch off once your phone is in South Dakota. Free play keeps working, and cash play returns when you are back in Montana.
Does Montana tax prizes from skill-game apps?
It can. Prizes are income, and Montana has a state income tax; check the Montana Department of Revenue's guidance for your situation.
Correction, September 24, 2026: an earlier version of this page said cash play was not available in Montana. Skillz's help center lists cash matches as available in Montana, so we updated the page.
Montana status per the Skillz help center (eligibility, cash-disabled areas, skill-game legality) and US App Store listings. General information, not legal advice; Skillz can change cash availability.