Retailer Application Packet

Parisot is a Great Falls native and worked as a Field Representative for former Congressman Pat Williams, as an Aide to Senate Minority Leader Mike Halligan, and served as the Deputy Secretary of State under Secretary of State Mike Cooney.

Prior to his appointment to head the Lottery by Governor Brian Schweitzer in January 2005, he was the Information Technology Administrator for Attorney General Mike McGrath, and ran his own website design business, BigSkyWeb.com.

Parisot attended Great Falls area schools and graduated from Hahn American High School in Germany. He received a bachelor's in communications/public relations from the University of Idaho, a bachelor's in biology and a secondary education certification from the University of Montana, and a Master's of Education in Learning and Technology from Western Governors University. A former military intelligence officer, Parisot served in the Washington Army National Guard. He is married to Tawna Parisot; they have three children.

By law, Montana's Lottery Commission consists of five members appointed by the Governor.

One of the five must have five years experience as a law enforcement officer, one must be an attorney, and one must be a certified public accountant.

Each commissioner is appointed to a four-year term, and the terms are staggered.

Three or more commissioners constitute a quorum to do business, and action may be taken by a majority of a quorum.

Back row, l-r: Thomas M. Keegan, Wilbur Rehmann, Craig Anderson
Front row, l-r: Beth O'Halloran, Robert Crippen

Montana Lottery Commission

Craig Anderson, Sheriff
Glendive, MT
Robert Crippen, CPA, Chair
Butte, MT
Thomas M. Keegan, Attorney at Law
Helena, MT
Beth O’Halloran
Missoula, MT
Wilbur Rehmann
Helena, MT

Powers and Duties of the Commission

Sets policies for operation of the Lottery
Determines the types and forms of games offered by the Lottery
Determines the percentages of money paid for a ticket that is paid out in prizes
Determines the price of each game and the number and size of prizes in that game
Maximizes net revenue paid to the state
Meets at least quarterly

The mission of the Montana Lottery is to maximize the transfer of its net revenue to the state's General Fund by providing products that meet the expectations of consumers and the state of Montana while adhering to the highest standards of security and integrity, which is critical to maintaining public confidence in the agency and its products.

The Montana Lottery is an enterprise fund, which means that its operations are financed and operated in a manner similar to private enterprise where the intent is to provide goods or services to the general public. That is, the Lottery receives no funding from the state of Montana but rather generates money for the state General Fund.

As with any business, the Lottery's net revenue—its "profit"—is defined as the excess of revenues over expenses. That "profit" is transferred to the state's General Fund.

This will be accomplished through the introduction of new games, changes to existing games, and the control of operating expenses.

The Montana Lottery has established and maintains an extensive security system that governs all aspects of the games it offers. This system is under continuous review, and upgrades are instituted whenever appropriate.

3. To provide excellent service to players and to retailers who sell our products

The Montana Lottery will continue to offer games that players want to play and to maintain convenient locations for ticket purchases. The Lottery works closely with its retail outlets to provide point–of–sale and display materials, inventory control, and technical assistance.