Tennessee Online Gambling

Tennessee is among the many states that have legalized online sports betting. There are not many other gaming options in the state, as there are no online casinos or land-based casinos.

Lawmakers in the state narrowly passed the online sports betting bill HB 0001 in May of 2019, and the first legal wager was made on November 1, 2020. Some of the big games in the online gaming industry are available in the Volunteer State — such as DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and Caesars.

With the passing of the bill to legalize sports wagering., Tennessee also had various gambling organizations in place to help people with gambling issues. There are also regulations to ensure that when people gamble online in Tennessee, that it is 100% safe, legal, and secure to do so.

In this review of legal online gambling in Tennessee, we have checked out all of the operators in the state that offer sports betting. They are all licensed and regulated, so you know when you play at those sites that it is legal, and your personal and financial information is 100% safe and protected.

Types of Legal Online Gambling in Tennessee

Online sports betting and daily fantasy sports (DFS) betting are legal in Tennessee. Online poker and online casino gambling are illegal, and there are no land-based casinos or sportsbooks in the state.

Sports Betting

Sports betting became legal in Tennessee in May 2019 with the passing of bill HB 0001, and a little over a year later, in November, people in the state could begin to wager on sports legally. Unlike other states where the sportsbooks have to be partnered with a land-based casino or professional sports team.

The online sportsbooks currently available in Tennessee are:

• Action 24/7 Sportsbook
• Bally Bet Sportsbook
• Barstool Sportsbook
• Betly Sportsbook
• BetMGM Sportsbook
• Caesars Sportsbook
• DraftKings Sportsbook
• Fanatics Sportsbook
• FanDuel Sportsbook
• Hard Rock Sportsbook
• SuperBook Sportsbook
• WynnBET Sportsbook

All but one of the sportsbooks are well-known and recognized names that have sportsbooks in other states. The one exception is Action 24/7, which is a local online bookie only available in Tennessee.

Online Casinos

There are not any online casinos in Tennessee, as online casino gambling is not legal. This might change at some point in the future, but as of right now, TN players cannot enjoy online casino games.

Daily Fantasy Sports

Tennessee was the third state to legalize online DFS wagering when bill 27-2 was passed in 2016. As of 2021, the DFS sites in the state are:

• DraftKings
• FanDuel
• Yahoo DFS
• Fantasy Draft

Why Choose a Legal Tennessee Online Gaming Site?

First and foremost, you should choose a legal gaming site in Tennessee licensed by a legitimate gaming body such as the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation.

If a site is licensed and regulated, you can be sure that fair policies and procedures are in place to help protect you. You know you can legally play there, and it is safe and secure. This is not always the case for gaming sites that are based offshore.

A gaming regulatory agency will also look out for the users of the site not only in terms of safety and security but also in making sure users get the right information for aspects such as setting odds for sports bets, bonuses and promotions offered, VIP/loyalty program info, and banking info for deposits and withdrawals. Often, you can read all the site does to ensure player security in the privacy policy link.

A legal Tennessee gaming site will also ensure that players’ financial and personal information is safe and secure. The Tennessee sites state that they will not give any of that information to third parties, and encryption technology ensures safe play.

When you sign up for a gaming site, you will have to provide them with information, such as the last four digits of your social security number, to ensure that the player is at least 21 years old, the legal gambling age in Tennessee. On top of that, the sites will have information for responsible gambling to ensure users have the outlets to use if they have a gambling problem.

It is beneficial for players to play at a legal gaming site and for the state of Tennessee. The state has a high tax on sports bets of 10%, which means that you will receive 90% for any winning wager.

In terms of where the tax money goes for sports betting, 80% goes to a particular account for education mainly to be used for post-secondary scholarships, 15% goes to local government to be used for various needs, and 5% goes to help fund gambling problem treatment programs in the state.

There have been estimates that taxes from sports betting in Tennessee would be around $50 million annually.

How to Know If a Tennessee Online Gaming Site Is Legal, Regulated, and Safe

Here are the things to look for at Tennessee online sportsbooks to make sure they are legal, regulated, and safe to play at.

Regulatory Agency

Legal sportsbooks in Tennessee must be licensed and regulated by the Sports Wagering Advisory Council (SWAC). On the legal sites, you will see information about licensing at the bottom of the main site. They will even have the license number issued by SWAC.

Jurisdiction

A legal sportsbook will only allow for wagers inside the state borders of Tennessee. If you are outside the borders, you can do such things as check out the odds, make a deposit and withdrawal, and even set up an account, but through geolocation technology, you cannot make wagers outside of Tennessee.

Recognizable Brand

Many of the more prominent names in gambling and online gambling have sportsbooks in Tennessee. The brands have earned their good standing in the industry, and if you see a big name such as BetMGM, FanDuel, and Caesars, you know the site is legit.

If you are not sure about the name being new to the game, simply check the site to ensure they have a license from SWAC. The legal sites all have this and are transparent in showing their licensing information.

Transparency

The legal sportsbooks in Tennessee will be transparent in showing you all the things in place to make sure you feel safe playing there. They should offer you measures taken to protect players’ personal and financial data. There is a lot of information in the site’s privacy policy link. If you want any more information about player security, you can contact the customer service department and they will be more than happy to supply you with any information you request.

Customer Service

Any good online gaming site, including Tennessee sportsbooks, should have a solid customer service department that can easily reach and give you prompt support. Most of the online TN sportsbooks can be reached via email, live chat, and phone. The live chat option is nice, as you can chat with a customer support representative in real-time to have any issue taken care of.

Anytime you are looking into joining a Tennessee online sportsbook, it is good to try out the customer service department to see how quickly they can be reached and how knowledgeable they are about their product.

Essential Information in Choosing an Online Gaming Site in Tennessee

Any time you play at a legal gaming site in Tennessee, you want to have a solid gaming experience. It would be best to look into what the sportsbook can offer you and what to expect when playing there. Here are some key aspects to check out before signing up for a Tennessee online sportsbook account.

Tennessee Online Gambling Welcome Bonuses

Competition is fierce between TN sportsbooks, and one of the ways to attract new players is by offering a welcome bonus. Typically, an online sportsbook has a welcome offer in a match deposit or free bets.

An example of a match deposit is a bookie that will give you a 100% match deposit on your first deposit on the site up to $1,000. Sometimes, you will see a welcome offer in free bets.

For example, a site will give you a free bet up to $500 risk-free where if your first bet is a losing one, they will match the amount of the wager up to $500 and give it back to you in the form of betting credits. You need to be aware that any welcome bonus will have a wagering requirement, which you have to fulfill before you can withdraw bonus money from your sportsbook account. Make sure you will be able to meet them before opting into the bonus.

Tennessee Sports Betting Promotions

Sportsbooks in Tennessee will also offer bonuses and promotions to existing players to keep them happy and playing at the site. There are things such as a reload bonus, refer a friend bonus, and leaderboards for tournaments.

Often, you will find that the bookies will offer promos for seasonal events, so things link free bets and parlay insurance for the MLB and NFL seasons.

For the more significant events such as the Super Bowl, World Series, or NBA finals, to name a few, there will be specific promos available for them. You should always check the bonuses and promotions offered, so you do not miss out on any good ones.

Loyalty/VIP Programs for Tennessee Players

Often you will see Tennessee online sportsbooks offer a loyalty/VIP program to their players. In a program such as this, you are given points for every bet you make at the site. Usually, the program will have tiers where the more you wager, the higher level you will be in and, in turn, the more rewards you can receive.

Typically, you can redeem the points for such things as free bets, site credits, and even bonus cash. If you are a player who often bets on sports, it is advantageous to check out if the sportsbook has a loyalty/VIP program.

Tennessee Mobile Gaming

Gaming on the go is enormously popular these days, which is why Tennessee’s online sportsbooks are mobile compatible. There will either be a specific app for the sportsbook or you can play directly through your browser. Mobile gaming is available for Android and iOS users.

Not only can you make bets through your mobile device but also set up an account, make deposits, and withdrawals, browse available bonuses and promotions, and contact customer service. All of the things available on the desktop version of the sportsbook will be available in the mobile version. You must turn on location services in the notifications section, and by doing this, you can make sports bets when you are physically located in the state.

Sports Offered and Betting Markets

No matter what TN sportsbook you choose, you want one with many sports available to wager on and a wide variety of bet types. All of the bookies in Tennessee will have a solid section of sports to wager on from popular ones such as football, soccer, basketball, baseball, and hockey to more niche sports such as volleyball, cricket, and badminton.

Not only do you want options for sports to bet on but also bet types. The standard bet types you will often see are spreads, totals, moneylines, parlays, teasers, futures, and round robins. It is no rocket science, as the more bet types are available, the more betting options you have.

You should know that for more popular sports, there will be many more betting options than niche sports. For example, there will be hundreds of bets available for a Sunday NFL game, while there may only be a moneyline for a FIVB beach volleyball match.

Tennessee Gaming Regulator Information

All legal online sportsbooks in Tennessee are licensed and regulated by the Sports Wagering Advisory Council (SWAC). They grant the licenses to the sportsbooks and oversee their practices to ensure they are compliant with their regulations regarding online sports betting.

SWAC ensures that TN sportsbooks treat their players in a good manner in terms of giving them a safe place to wager, being transparent in safety and security measures in place to protect the personal and financial information, being transparent in the terms of conditions of promotions and bonuses offered and giving players an outlet to contact various organizations if they feel they have a gambling problem.

Often at the Tennessee online sportsbooks, there will be a responsible gaming link that has info on problem gambling and contact info for organizations that deal with problem gambling.

If you have any issue regarding a sportsbook in Tennessee that is not a typical one the bookie can help out, you can contact SWAC. The council’s headquarters are in Nashville. The primary mailing address for SWAC is:

Sports Wagering Advisory Council
312 Rosa L Parks Ave., 8th Floor
Nashville, TN 37243

History of Tennessee Online Gambling Legislation

DFS wagering was the first online form of wagering in Tennessee when bill 27-2 was passed in 2016. Online sports betting was legalized with bill HB 0001 in May of 2019, and legal sports betting in Tennessee launched November 1, 2020.

There are no retail casinos or sportsbooks in Tennessee, and the state was the first to go online only for sports betting. The legal forms of gaming in Tennessee are:

• Online sports betting
• Daily sports fantasy
• Off-Track Horse Betting
• Bingo and other types of charitable gaming
• Tennessee State Lottery

Responsible Gaming Resources in Tennessee

The TELC has the task of ensuring safe gambling for Tennessee players. They strive for responsible gaming, and one of the main goals is to make sure players are at least 21 years of age, and this is done in the verification process when signing up at a Tennessee gaming site.

Often this can be done quickly. If there are verification issues, you may need to manually verify your ID and address by uploading to the site such things as a government-issued ID card and a recent utility bill or a tax form. Another step to protect players is having exclusion lists that restrict players from wagering at TN sportsbooks.

Gambling Limits

One of the nice things about Tennessee online sportsbooks is that they allow players to set gambling limits. This can help with the gambling issue limiting a player’s limits in how they bet on the site. Here are a few types of gambling limits that you can put in place at the sportsbooks.

• Deposit Limits — Limits the amount of funds you can deposit at the TN sportsbook.
• Betting Limits — Limits the amount that you can make on a single bet.
• Time Alerts — You can turn on notifications to how long you have been wagering on the sportsbook.
• Time Restrictions — You can set the amount of time you can be active on the sportsbook.
• Self-Exclusion — If you think you may have an issue with problem gambling, you can set a time exclusion where you cannot make wagers for that period. You can set the time limits to be a week, month, or year.

Gambling Problems

Gambling should be fun and entertaining, but for some, it can be addictive. The TELC works to make it so gaming is fun and not addicting, but for those with issues, they have organizations in place to help. Some can be found directly on the Tennessee online sportsbooks. Here are some of the organizations that can help people with problem gambling.

• There is support for problem gamblers on the Tennessee Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services website.

• The Problem Gambling Outreach, Education & Referrals Program is a part of the Tennessee Association of Alcohol, Drug and Other Addiction Services (TAADAS). You can visit that website and there is also a Redline hotline at 800-889-9789.

• National Council on Problem Gambling – https://www.ncpgambling.org — hotline 1-800-522-4700

• Gamblers Anonymous – https://www.gamblersanonymous.org/ga/ – On this site, you can find GA meetings and services in Tennessee.

Land-based Gambling Available in Tennessee

There are no land-based gambling venues in Tennessee, as retail casino gaming and retail sportsbooks are illegal.

FAQ

Is online gambling legal in Tennessee?

Yes, online sports betting and DFS are legal in Tennessee, while online poker and casino gambling are illegal.

Can I use my Tennessee online gaming accounts in other states?

Yes and no. You can access your Tennessee gaming account to do such things as check out the sports odds available, take care of banking issues, contact customer service, and set up an account. Still, you cannot make wagers unless you are physically located in the state.

I’m traveling to Tennessee. Can I set up my account before I arrive?

Yes, as stated before, you can set up an account outside Tennessee, even at a Tennessee gaming site. However, you cannot make wagers unless you are in the state. You only need to be in the state to make a wager, as you do not need to be a state resident.

Can I play at Tennessee online gambling sites if I am just visiting the state?

Yes, you can set up a Tennessee gaming site and play there if you are in the state or just visiting, as you do not have to be a resident.

What is the minimum age to gamble online in Tennessee?

You must be at least 21 years old to gamble online in Tennessee. When you sign up for a Tennessee online gaming account, you have to go through ID verification so the site knows you are of legal age to play there.