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After moving forward in the Legislature largely unnoticed, a bill to legalize blackjack in Montana faced a wall of opposition Thursday from bar owners and others who warned the card game would increase crime and gambling addiction in the state. "I see this bill as something that's going to cause me more work," Jim Kaiser, executive director of a homeless mission in Great Falls, told the Senate Finance and Claims Committee. Following testimony and a brief discussion, the committee tabled the bill, which means it is effectively dead.

Blackjack differs from games currently offered in Montana casinos, opponents argued, since it is a "house-banked" game, meaning players make their bets against the USA casino rather than each other.

Many bar owners told the committee that the large amount of money needed to run blackjack tables would put small casinos at a disadvantage if the bill passed.

"The implementation of blackjack is something (USA casinos) don't want to do or can't do," Douglas Palagi of Great Falls said. "They don't have the resources to operate a blackjack table."

Revenue from the bill would be earmarked for social services, and the bill's sponsor, Rep. Tony Belcourt, D-Box Elder, said he wants to keep Montana gamblers in the state rather than see them fly to Las Vegas to spend their money.

But Sue Rolfing of Columbia Falls said that it wouldn't just be Las Vegas-style tax revenue the bill would generate, pointing to the portion of the bill that strikes "blackjack" and "21" from the list of prohibited games in Montana.

"These little black marks have the power to turn Montana casinos into Las Vegas casinos with all the fraud and crime that comes with them," she said.

Up until the Thursday hearing, House Bill 423 had generated little debate in the Capitol. One person testified against it at its first hearing, and no lawmakers spoke against it before it passed the House in a tight vote.

Among those voting against HB 423 in the Senate committee Thursday was Sen. Bob Hawks, D-Bozeman. Hawks said he felt there was wide public opposition to the bill and that the law would "open the door to another tier of gambling."

"It really does allow the industry to progress from that point on," Hawks told the committee.

Double Exposure is a blackjack game where both dealer cards are dealt face up. The game is played with 6 regular decks, shuffled before each game round.

Game rules

• Double Exposure Blackjack is a blackjack game where both dealer cards are dealt face up.
• The game is played with 6 regular decks, shuffled before each game round.
• Number cards (2-10) count as face value, aces count as either 1 or 11, and kings, queens, and jacks count as 10.
• The dealer must stand on 17 or higher, and draw cards to 16.
• A hand wins if its value is closer to 21 than the dealer's hand.
• A hand automatically stands when the total card value is 21.
• Player hands of 22 or higher (busted) lose regardless of the dealer's hand.
• If the dealer has a higher hand (but not busted), the player loses.
• If the first two cards (excluding split cards) total 21, you have Blackjack.
• Blackjack always beats any other hand with a value of 21.
• The dealer wins on all ties except for tied Blackjack.
• All wins pay 1:1.

Double down

• You can double down if your initial cards total a hard 9, 10, or 11.
• The double down bet is equal to the initial bet.
• After doubling, you are dealt one extra card and then your hand automatically stands.
• You may also double after a split.

Splitting

• You can split the first two cards if they have the same value.
• Splitting doubles your initial bet, and you play both hands, one after the other.
• After splitting aces you will receive only one additional card for each split hand.
• For all split hands except split aces, you can hit multiple times.
• In a split hand, an ace and a card with a value of 10 will be counted as 21 and not Blackjack.