Online Sports Betting Goes Live in Tennessee

On April 30, 2019, Tennesse Governor Bill Lee signed bill HB 1 into law. By signing the bill, the Governor effectively legalized sports betting for Tennessee residents. During April of 2019, three other states (Montana, Indiana, and Iowa) also legalized sports betting legislation. Of the four states to do so, Tennessee is the last one to get sports betting operations up and running.

At first, the delay was blamed on logistical issues. About the time it looked like sports betting was about ready to take off in Tennessee, the COVID19 pandemic hit, putting everything on hold. Finally, the wait is over for Tennessee sports bettors.

Effective November 1, 2020, Tennessee residents and visitors to the "Volunteer State" were able to officially and legally place sports wagers. What is unusual about the beginning of sports betting in Tennessee is there will be no retail sportsbooks in operation. Per the legislation, all sports wagers will need to placed through online websites and mobile apps.

To date, four online bookmakers are licensed to take sports wagers in Tennessee. The Tennesse Education Lottery is responsible for setting sports betting regulations and the issuing of licenses to bookmakers. Other licenses are available and could be issued in the very near future.

The current list of licensed includes DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and Action 24/7. Qualified bettors must be at least 21 years of age and not be on any self-exclusion lists. In addition, all wagers must be placed while within the state borders of Tennessee. Geotracking devices will be monitoring bettor locations.

Currently, the mobile betting apps for DraftKings and BetMGM are only available to bettors who use mobile devices (smartphones, tablets) that are compatible with the Android and iOS operating systems. Access to the bonus betting apps is available through Google Play for Android users and the Apple App Store for iOS users.

Not to be left out of the mix, mobile users with off-brand operating systems can still access the sports betting websites, using a standard web browser.

Bettors will have access to a wide range of betting markets, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NCAAFB, NCAABB, European soccer leagues, Aussie Rules Football, boxing, golf, and motorsports to name a few. Bettors will also have a wide range of betting options that include straight bets, parlays, live in-game betting, teasers, prop bets, and futures odds bets.

All current Tennessee bookmakers are offering welcome bonuses to new customers.