Montana lottery boss withholds emails in Intralot 7-year deal probe

Sen. Tom McGillvray accused the Lottery of obstructing auditors probing Montana’s Intralot contract, according to The Independent Record.

The hit

Montana lottery director Bob Brown is refusing auditors full access to emails tied to a new contract with Intralot, according to The Independent Record. Brown says some communications were designated confidential or privileged by attorneys. The Legislative Audit Division flagged the withheld emails while probing possible conflicts of interest in the contracting process.

Why it matters

The row matters because Intralot’s original unsolicited offer kept its old rate, before lawmakers forced competitive bidding that cut it. Withheld emails mean auditors cannot confirm whether the process was clean or whether officials favoured the incumbent.

The record

Contract length	7 years, secured by Intralot last year
Prior commission rate	8% of gambling sales under old Intralot contract
New commission rate	5.05% after competitive bidding
State savings estimate	$17.6m (Montana auditors)
Bidding vote	September 2024, Montana Lottery Commission voted unanimously for competitive bid
Hearing date	18 September, Brown testified before Legislative Audit Committee

What happens next

Watch for further Legislative Audit Committee hearings as lawmakers push for full email disclosure. Neither Brown nor Intralot is accused of corruption.

Sources: Montana Lottery’s Intralot Deal Faces Scrutiny Over Withheld Emails

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