In Idaho, the authorities in charge of managing the gambling industry are the Idaho State Lottery Commission and the Idaho Racing Commission. They act in accordance with the Idaho Constitution and Statutes. The minimum gambling age is 18.
Land-Based Casinos in Idaho
The state does not allow commercially operated casinos but is on board with Tribal gambling. Tribal Casinos can offer slot machines and bingo but are not allowed to host table games. Poker rooms are out of the question, too.
Considering a scarce selection of entertainment, venues called casinos in Idaho would’ve been referred to as Video Poker Bars in Nevada or Slot Parlors in Illinois. Having said that, the Gem State also has quite a few big venues, where there can be between 100 to 1,4000 electronic machines. Such are brick-and-mortar venues like Fort Hall, Clearwater River, Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel, and Bannocle Peak.
Pari-Mutuel Betting in Idaho
Live and simulcast betting on horse racing is allowed in Idaho but the state’s racetracks are barely profitable. There are only a few days in a year when horse races are held. Simulcast betting is also not available year-round.
For the longest time, there were talks of making Historical Horse Racing lawful. Under this law, bettors would’ve had a chance to place bets on a pari-mutuel basis via video devices on horse races that have already happened. This would’ve allowed the few racetracks in the state to remain viable. However, on the November ballot of 2018, voters rejected the initiative.
Lotteries in Idaho
The lottery is considered the main form of gambling in Idaho. The state government holds an exclusive license to operate lottery products. For almost two decades, GTECH was the commercial company to provide lottery services on behalf of the state. In 2016, Intralot took over. Following a competitive procurement process, the state lottery awarded it a ten-year contract to provide its central lottery gaming system.
Residents of the state can enjoy daily lottery drawings, as well as pull tabs and scratch games. The cost of a card can be anywhere between 1 USD to 20 USD. The surplus from the lottery is distributed to fund education and construction in Idaho.
