Supporters of a sport that's on its last legs in Montana are hopeful that the most popular sport in the country can bring some much-needed relief.

When the National Football League season kicks off early next month, Montanans will have a chance to select players and possibly win money based on their on-field performance in a fantasy football-style game offered by the Montana Lottery.

Participants in Montana Sports Action Fantasy Football select a "team" of several NFL players plus a team's defensive unit, and score points based on those players' statistical performance each week. The three highest scores of the week split the pot.

The game isn't sanctioned by the NFL, and the play slips and other promotional materials make no mention of pro team nicknames or players' names. Instead, teams are chosen simply by city, and players by jersey number.

Montana is one of just four states (Nevada, Delaware and Oregon are the others) grandfathered from the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, which prohibits governments from sponsoring lotteries or other games based on the results of sporting events. Those four states already had some form of sports gambling in place when the act was passed.

While it's administered by the Lottery, the fantasy football game actually benefits the Montana Board of Horse Racing, which gets 16 cents of every dollar played.

"We worked with the Board of Horse Racing. They needed the game developed as quickly as possible, so we agreed to carry the game on their behalf," said lottery director George Parisot.

It's a parimutuel game, meaning participants are betting against each other. By law, 74 percent of the money wagered is paid out, and after horse racing gets its cut, the last dime is split between the Lottery and the local ticket retailer.

Ryan Sherman, who took over as the Board of Horse Racing's top executive in May, said the game can bring a much-needed infusion of cash to the sport, money that can be used to upgrade racing facilities around the state as well as increasing purses in hopes of drawing more and better competition.

"And hopefully we can bring a couple of tracks that have discontinued racing back into the mix," he said.

The game is only available to businesses that have gambling licenses. Parisot said more than 120 licensed retailers have signed up, and he expects more before the season starts.

Several have signed up in the Helena area, including Dapper D's, Howard's Keno King and Nickels Gaming Parlour.

Chris Rehor, owner of the Montana City Grill, said he took the game hoping to draw additional customers on Sundays as well as for Monday Night Football.

"I'm trying to turn my bar into more of a sports bar," Rehor said. "I looked (the fantasy game) over and thought it would be a good way to bring in some customers. They'll purchase a ticket, hopefully stay and have a beer, maybe come back Sunday night or Monday night to see how their ticket is doing."

Sherman said purses ranged between $15,000 and $17,000 a day at the seven-day race meet earlier this year in Miles City, with slightly higher daily purses at the recently concluded Great Falls meet.

He's optimistic the fantasy football game will allow those purses to more than double and breathe new life into the sport of kings.

He noted that several states have used casino gambling to support horse racing, often by installing slot machines at the tracks, but that Montana is the first to try a fantasy sports game to support the horses.

"We're the first to try something different in term of that alternative wagering that helps horse racing out," he said. "This is an innovative alternative to expanded gaming at race tracks like they've done in other states."

He added that officials are working on a similar fantasy sports game that would involve the NASCAR auto racing circuit.

"Those two would basically give us year-round coverage for fantasy sports wagering," Sherman said.

Reporter John Harrington: 447-4080 or john.harrington@helenair.com.