Casinos In Tennessee
When Will Tennessee Launch Online Sports Betting?
CASINOS in & near KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - 2021 up-to-date list Cherokee Harrah's Casino & Resort On the edge of the Nantahala National Forest and in the Eastern Cherokee Indian Reservation is where the Harrah’s Cherokee Casino & Resort is located. The hotel features. Top Five Casinos Closest To Tennessee & Nashville. While you won’t be able to visit any casinos in Tennessee anytime soon, the good news is that there are plenty of excellent casinos pretty close to the Tennessee border. Even better, many of these top casinos are close to Nashville. The number of casinos in Tennessee remains zero to date because they have one of the strictest gambling laws in the country. To this effect, the state lottery is the only permitted form of gambling in Tennessee.
As of November 2020, DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and Action 247 have launched their Tennessee online sports betting apps. Four more online sportsbooks will be introduced to the market in 2021.
Currently, online is the only sports betting format available because there are no Tennessee casinos. As such, there aren’t any legal brick-and-mortar casinos in which sportsbooks can operate.
Still, the Sports Gaming Act represents a big transformation in the Tennessee state government’s attitude toward gambling activities. Historically, Tennessee law has been pretty anti-gambling. Daily fantasy sports is legal, but only because it doesn’t qualify as an online gambling activity according to Tennessee lawmakers.
Overall, the future for mobile sports betting is bright in Tennessee. It may also be a sign that other forms of online gambling will become legal over the next few years.
Tennessee Online Sports Betting Apps
As mentioned, there are seven operators who will eventually come to offer sports betting in Tennessee. But these three are set to launch as early as November 1, 2020. There are multiple reasons why a sports bettor might consider trying out these apps.
DraftKings
DraftKings is arguably the most well-known daily fantasy sports and sports betting operator in the industry. It has one of the best mobile apps in the business, plus incredible market depth and variety, making the app a fantastic pick for longtime sports bettors.
DraftKings’ mobile sports betting app comes with an intuitive user interface and an industry leading bonus package. New users receive up to $1,025 in total value spread across deposit match and risk-free bets, plus $25 of automatic site credit. In-play betting, unique betting pools specific to the mobile app, and excellent customer service mark this app as one of the top sports betting choices in every state, not just Tennessee.
FanDuel
Right behind DraftKings is FanDuel, another landmark sportsbook operator that also offers an excellent opening bonus. New users receive a risk-free bet of up to $1,000 upon creating a new account. While market depth and variety aren’t quite as varied, there’s still plenty to like here, including fantastic markets and odds for professional and collegiate US sports. Additional international sports betting opportunities are also available.
FanDuel’s mobile app is one of the best, featuring a smooth and slick user interface with a font and style specifically developed to accommodate the small screens inherent with mobile devices. Most players find FanDuel’s offerings exceptional. Between DraftKings and FanDuel, players will have more than enough sports betting action to keep themselves busy.
BetMGM
But don’t discount BetMGM. This additional sportsbook operator comes with a complex and robust mobile app that provides tons of high-quality information and betting analytics charts for players to enjoy. In addition, BetMGM comes with several unique bets, odds boosting bonuses, and a decent opening bonus to attract new players.
All in all, each of these sportsbook operators provides worthwhile value to Tennessee sports betting enthusiasts. There’s a lot to like between all three. Sports betting fanatics will likely want to try each mobile operator out before settling on their favorite.
Timeline Of Important Dates For Tennessee’s Gambling History
- November 5, 2002. The Tennessee Amendment 1, also known as the Lottery for Education Amendment, passes with nearly 58% of the vote. This authorizes the formation of a state lottery
- June 2003. The Tennessee legislature creates the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation (which would go on to regulate both lottery and online sports betting activities)
- January 20, 2004. The state sells its first lottery tickets for four games. Ticket sales reach $10.8 million on the first day
- April 2016. The Tennessee state legislator passes the Tennessee Fantasy Sports Act of 2016. This authorizes daily fantasy sports within the state
- May 24, 2019. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signs the Tennessee Sports Gaming Act, which authorizes online sports betting and the awarding of seven sports betting licenses to operators
- November 1, 2020. DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM launch their mobile sportsbook apps in Tennessee
The History Of Legal Gambling In Tennessee
Tennessee has never been very gambling-friendly. However, things began to change in November 2002 when the Tennessee General Assembly passed an amendment to the state constitution establishing a statewide lottery.
The launch of the Tennessee lottery spawned the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation, which is now also the regulating agency for online sports betting within the state. Over the years, the Tennessee Lottery has continued to evolve.
More recently, 2016 saw the launch of the Tennessee Fantasy Sports Act, which legalized daily fantasy sports throughout the state. All operators had to do, according to the Act, was get a license with Tennessee’s Division of Charitable Solicitations and Gaming to begin offering DFS.
Finally, in 2019, Tennessee passed the Sports Gaming Act, which fully legalized online sports betting and authorized the state government to hand out seven provisional sports betting licenses. Four of those license applicants and recipients are known: DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and Tennessee Action 24/7.
November 1, 2020 was set as the official launch date of the first three major mobile sportsbook operators above. The other four sportsbook operators are more likely to launch sometime in 2021.
Even though sports betting is now legal in Tennessee, Gov. Bill Lee was also quick to point out that he was hesitant to sign the legislation. He reportedly only did so because he recognized the bill would get passed one way or another. He did say that he was resolute about preventing the spread of more gambling activities throughout Tennessee.
This being said, Bill Lee will not be the governor forever. Furthermore, the increased tax revenue that the state government is likely to enjoy may shift the proverbial winds and make future gambling legalization legislation more likely later than it is now.
Tennessee Gambling FAQ
Tennessee’s sports gambling legislation set the state’s legal gambling age to 21. Players will need to verify their age using a driver’s license or another form of legal ID.
This is distinct from the age of entrance for the lottery, which is only 18. But that’s partially because the state’s government clearly sees sports betting is a more serious type of gambling in comparison to the lottery.
Online sports betting is legal in Tennessee, but other forms of online gambling are not.
The only other type of gambling allowed in the state – the lottery – cannot be played online and must be participated in through a licensed retail location.
It’s possible that Tennessee’s gambling restrictions will relax even further over the next decade as sports betting takes off and the government becomes used to the increased tax revenue it will enjoy as a result.
Yes. Tennessee’s Sports Gaming Act was explicit in only allowing online sports betting rather than brick-and-mortar or retail sports betting. Sports betting enthusiasts will be able to enjoy this activity through licensed and regulated online sportsbook operators.
The big four known so far are DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and Tennessee Action 24/7. However, another three operators have received licenses and have not yet announced their identities.
Yes. Tennessee’s lottery first began in 2002, breaking the state’s historical outlawing of all gambling activities. It was first offered only at retail locations, like certain gas stations and other stores. However, the launch of the Tennessee Lottery app a few years later has allowed players to somewhat participate from afar even if they still have to buy a ticket at an in-person kiosk or seller.
The Tennessee lottery, with the exception of Powerball competitions, uses a random number generator instead of ball drawings as of 2007. Tennessee’s lottery participates in the Powerball that, of course, still uses ball drawings.
Furthermore, Tennessee’s lottery offers an in-state jackpot game called Tennessee Cash as of October 2010. Keep in mind that players must be 18 or older to purchase Tennessee lottery tickets.
No. The Tennessee lottery does have an active app, but this only allows you to store lucky numbers, view the results of the lottery, and other ancillary activities rather than buy or redeem tickets remotely.
Lottery players must still visit kiosks or licensed retail lottery locations to purchase tickets.
Yes. Tennessee’s Lottery is the organization in charge of regulating both the state lottery and sports betting. The organization’s team has been hard at work performing criminal background checks and double-checking every operator that sent in an application for sports betting.
All of the licensed and regulated sportsbooks currently set to launch this November are safe and secure. They use top-of-the-line digital security systems and processes to protect their players’ sensitive information. But the Lottery also performs its own, independent investigations to make sure that each operator is honest and that there aren’t any discrepancies when it comes to winnings or withdrawals.
Yes. Tennessee’s tax code stipulates that all earnings from gambling activities, such as from playing the lottery or from wagering or a sportsbook, be counted as regular income. This means you must report any winnings you get from either activity and pay taxes on that income at the end of each tax year.
No. As of this time, casinos are not legal in Tennessee in any fashion. This reluctance to allow for brick-and-mortar or retail casinos has even extended to the state’s sports betting legislation. The Sports Gaming Act doesn’t allow in-person sports betting since there won’t be any casinos for the sportsbooks to set up shop in anyway.
Instead, any players looking to enjoy casino games in Tennessee will need to rely on social gaming sites like Chumba Casino or LuckyLand Slots, both of which offer slots and other casino games without allowing players to wager with real money.
Absolutely. If a casino or mobile sportsbook offers a loyalty program, it makes sense to join if you use that sportsbook more than any others.
That’s because most VIP or loyalty sportsbook programs reward players for placing more wagers or spending more time on the app. These rewards usually come in the form of digital points that can be accumulated over time and redeemed for certain prizes. Sometimes the prizes are physical, but most of the time they take the form of site credit to give players “free wagers” or something similar.
There’s no reason not to sign up for a sportsbook’s loyalty program if you’re a fan. It’s a great way to get free stuff just for enjoying your favorite sports betting app.
Tennessee doesn’t have any casinos at this time. However, many of the sportsbook operators are owned by either themselves or a parent company. For instance, BetRivers – a theorized recipient of one of the three mystery sports betting licenses – is owned by Rush Street Interactive. Meanwhile, DraftKings and FanDuel own themselves rather than being owned by another corporation.
This is ultimately a good thing for Tennessee sports betting enthusiasts. It means that they won’t have to complete registration in person at a retail casino, which is a requirement in some other states.
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Tennessee, the home of country music and amazing barbecue, is extremely conservative when gambling is concerned. Without a doubt, it’s one of the most restrictive states in the US.
To further promote its conservatism, the Volunteer State doesn’t have any land-based casinos within its borders. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean its residents can’t have a legit gambling experience online. So, let’s see what is the current situation of online gambling in Tennessee.
Top 5 Tennessee Online Casinos
Is Online Gambling Legal in Tennessee?
Compared to other US states, Tennessee can be considered a bit contradictory. Let us explain — one of the conditions to legalize online gambling is to have land-based casinos partner up with online operators. Well, Tennessee has done the exact opposite.
The state doesn’t have any land-based casinos, however, it has legalized online sports betting. And, that is the only form of online gambling legal in the state. Online sports betting operators need to have agreements with national sports leagues.
First off, daily fantasy sports have been legalized in 2016, which has been an enormous step forward for the Volunteer State. In 2019, Tennessee has made online sports betting legal. By doing so, it became the first state in the US to have online sports betting as the only legal form of gambling.
We still can’t say with certainty when we will see the launch of online sportsbooks in TN, but, that will be the only possible way of placing bets — no land-based and retail sportsbooks will be introduced.
In 2017, there has been an attempt to make casinos legal, but it took the committee less than a month to turn that proposal down. Up until today, there have been no additional attempts to legalize casinos, land-based or online.
All operators willing to operate in Tennessee will have to pay $750,000 annually to renew their licenses. While it’s a big price to pay, we still believe operators see the potential of operating on the Tennessee market.
Future of Online Gambling in Tennessee
Casinos In Tennessee And Kentucky
The timetable for legalizing online gambling in TN doesn’t exist. While we want to believe that the legalization of online sports betting has only been the start of something bigger, we might have to come to terms with the fact that it might not happen anytime soon.
Making any forms of casino gambling legal doesn’t seem to be a priority to the Tennessee government. Moreover, at one point, the governor Bill Lee said that he’s thankful to the state lawmakers for managing to avoid building any land-based casinos within the state borders.
With that in mind, Tennessee residents continue to travel across the borders to visit other land-based casinos in their vicinity. If the state of Tennessee were to legalize any forms of gambling in the future, we believe it would be online casinos, and no land-based casinos will be built in the near future.
Land-Based Casino Options in Tennessee
No, there are no land-based casinos in the state of Tennessee. While we expected a conservative southern state to ban commercial casinos, we were surprised to see that the Volunteer State doesn’t even have tribal casinos.
The reason behind this goes back a long time — in the 1830s all tribes east of Mississippi were forcibly moved to the frontier. And even today, there are no federally recognized tribes that would run tribal casinos.
Other Gambling Options in TN
We have found very few gambling options available to the Tennessee residents. The state doesn’t have any race tracks or betting shops. The only form of betting that’s legal is the off-track betting on horse racing. Betting on greyhounds is forbidden in Tennessee.
Even charitable gambling isn’t completely legal — you can participate in the annual raffle and cakewalks, but these events are small compared to other states. Social Gambling is somewhat legal, but you need to be careful when choosing the type of social game because some of them can be illegal.
The only form of casino gambling that’s legal in Tennessee is a free-play social casino — there are prizes, but they aren’t money-related. You can play games in these social casinos for amusement.
The State Lottery is legal. It was established in 2003, and the first ticket was sold in 2004. Tennessee residents can now buy Mega Millions and Powerball tickets and participate in the State Lottery.
If you want to try out real money casino games, you can do so in offshore online casinos. However, you should be careful when you’re choosing which offshore casino to play in. These online gaming platforms don’t fall under the state’s jurisdiction, and therefore the state laws don’t apply to them.
On the one hand, that’s a good thing, but, if something goes wrong, you can’t rely on the Tennessee authorities for help. Because of that, you should always check out the offshore casino, and choose a reliable and trustworthy one.
FAQ
Unfortunately, online casinos aren’t legal in the state of Tennessee. The state has only legalized online sports betting, but there are no land-based casinos these online sportsbooks can partner up with.
There are no strict laws regarding offshore gambling sites. Therefore, we can’t say they are legal or illegal. They simply don’t fall under the jurisdiction of the Tennessee authorities. The residents can play in offshore casinos, however, they need to be careful when choosing which site they want to play on.
Casinos In Tennessee And Kentucky
If you want to partake in any gambling activity in the state of Tennessee, you need to be older than 21. This is the most common legal age for gambling throughout the United States.
Interestingly enough, the state of Tennessee doesn’t have any land-based casinos. The only legal land-based gambling options in TN are betting on horse races in certain facilities, and some forms of charitable gambling.
Casinos In Tennessee Gambling
No, unfortunately, online poker isn’t legalized in Tennessee. However, if you want to play online poker, you can do so in offshore online casinos that accept players from the United States. Offshore gaming isn’t prohibited, and players from the US won’t be persecuted for taking part in offshore gambling activities.