Tennessee Sports Betting

Tennessee Sports Betting

The sports betting scene in Tennessee is steadily on the rise. With the Tennessee Titans having made the playoffs in the NHL this year, many found their way to the sportsbooks of the Volunteer State.

It might not be the first place you think of, but Tennessee sports betting is rising in popularity. Since its initial launch in 2020, it has flourished across the state. It has brought hope that other types of betting might be legalized.

However, the precise betting situation in Tennessee is more interesting than it might first appear. Unlike other states that have legalized sports betting in retail and online destinations, Tennessee has opted for just the latter. In choosing to do so, they have created a thriving online marketplace – though it does mean that the state is missing out on some other key betting areas.

For now, players can find a range of options open to them here. There is plenty for a bettor in Tennessee to check out online sports betting to daily fantasy sports.

Best Tennessee Online Sportsbook Sites

Tennessee’s online sportsbooks are one of a kind in the United States since they are exclusively available online. This implies that retail sportsbooks will no longer accept in-person wagers, which should not be a problem for most Tennessee bettors. Tennessee online sports betting is consistently more popular because of the ease, variety, and welcome bonuses available to new customers.

Our experts have researched the best Tennessee betting site for sports bettors in the state.

DraftKings Sportsbook TN

DraftKings Sportsbook offers one of the most comprehensive sports betting systems available in the United States. According to the site’s developers, the platform’s sports portfolio and wagering options place it in an elite group of legal online sports betting sites.

In addition to being the official betting partner of the Nashville Predators, DraftKings Tennessee Sportsbook offers a profitable environment for NHL bettors as well. Amazing promotions and betting chances are available across all major sports, including the NFL, Major League Baseball (MLB), and the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Barstool Sportsbook Tennessee

Barstool Sportsbook is now accessible in Tennessee, and it brings with it a slew of outstanding features, promotions, and sports to bet on, all of which can be found on the company’s website.

Although Barstool Bookmaker occasionally makes headlines for the wrong reasons, the company has completed all of the necessary licensing requirements to operate as a legitimate and trustworthy sportsbook.

Because of its affiliation with the well-known Penn National brand, the Tennessee Education Lottery approved Barstool Sportsbook’s application. Barstool has been able to expand into several more states due to this relationship.

In addition to being a licensed and regulated sportsbook in Tennessee, Barstool Sports employs the most up-to-date encryption technology to prevent data breaches from the site’s servers.

BetMGM Tennessee

The Tennessee Titans have partnered with BetMGM as their official sports betting partner. The fact that BetMGM logo will be prominently displayed at Nissan Stadium does not imply that the venue will be a betting venue. It also elevates BetMGM Tennessee Sportsbook to the top of the list for wagering on the National Football League, including Super Bowl odds for the next Super Bowl LVI in 2022.

Sports gamblers may place wagers on NFL futures right now and throughout the season. The points spread, moneyline, totals, parlays, and prop bets available on every NFL game at BetMGM are in addition to the other types of wagers available. If you believe the Titans will go far this season, BetMGM Tennessee placed them as +2000 favorites to win Super Bowl LVI and +1000 favorites to win the AFC Conference title before the start of the regular season.

Caesars Tennessee

William Hill was the brand under which Caesars Sportsbook first opened its doors in Tennessee, but the sportsbook changed its identity in April after Caesars bought William Hill. It is only natural that William Hill’s international reputation as one of the most renowned and oldest sports betting organizations should be added to the Caesars brand, already well-known and of the highest quality.

Caesars is the official sports betting partner of the National Football League (NFL) in its entirety. Because of the unique data and analytics that come with the partnership, the Caesars Sportsbook Tennessee apps should be in your rotation when looking for the best NFL betting odds. In particular, if you wager on teams other than the Tennessee Titans, you may experience disappointment (which partnered with BetMGM).

FanDuel Sportsbook TN

FanDuel is one of the most famous online sports betting companies in the United States to the Volunteer State. One of the most useful aspects is the powerful app. There are also many deals and an Odds Boost area worth monitoring regularly.

FanDuel Sportsbook Tennessee is the official betting partner of the Memphis Grizzlies, making it the number one destination for NBA betting in the state.

Legal Online Tennessee Sports Betting

Those players interested in what legal online Tennessee sports betting offers will find no shortage of places to try. Legal sports betting has been available since 2019, with the market launching in 2020, and it has given several major operators the chance to launch apps here. With many top operators currently on the market and more due to launch their apps soon, now is the perfect time to see what Tennessee sports betting offers.

To be able to place a legal bet, you simply need to download one of the apps licensed by the Tennessee Sports Advisory Wagering Commission (SWAC). They are the ones who oversee the licensing and regulation of online sports betting in the Volunteer State. To set up shop in Tennessee, brands have to pay an application fee of $50,000 and an annual licensing fee of $750,000. Though they seem high, these high licensing fees encourage brands to offer the very best service they can.

When placing a sports bet here using such an app, it is important to remember that they have been developed for the use of people in Tennessee. Therefore, anyone who wishes to use these apps must be located within state borders, or they will find that the app simply won’t function. Bettors must also be aged 21+.

Players can bet on esports here, in addition to college sports. Betting on collegiate sports does have a few restrictions, however. There are no restrictions on betting on sports at colleges within the state, but you cannot place a live prop bet during a college bet or place a prop bet on an individual college athlete. As with other states around the USA, bettors cannot wager on politics or entertainment bets – including presidential elections.

How To Pick A Tennessee Sports Betting Site

With many of the major brands offering a Tennessee sports betting site or betting app and more launching shortly, bettors in the Volunteer State are spoiled for choice when it comes to legal sports gambling.

It is most important to check that the brand does indeed carry that licensing and seal of approval from SWAC. Sports betting in the USA are handled by state governments, not the federal one. Just because a site is legal across the border elsewhere does not always mean that it can offer legal wagers to those in Tennessee.

Most important will be what the bettor wishes to see from the brand themselves. Each one offers a wide range of sports betting options. Though you might prefer to place bets on the NFL, having the option to bet on the NBA, the NHL, or maybe even something like the European UEFA Champions League soccer tournament can be a massive bonus. On top of this, it is important to consider the range of bets and odds on offer. One site might always offer far more competitive odds than another.

History / Timeline of Sports Betting in Tennessee

Until very recently, Tennessee was one of the states with a very strict and uncompromising approach to gambling. While other states may have dabbled in it before the federal ban, Tennessee has never been one to do so. They have not looked favorably on other betting forms, with the state lottery only being introduced in 2003.

However, things changed when the Supreme Court overruled the federal ban on sports betting, the Professional Sports and Amateur Protection Act (PASPA). As other states rushed to set up their sports betting acts, legislators considered what it would take for Tennessee sports betting to become a reality.

In November 2018, a new sports betting bill was introduced. House Bill 1, or the Tennessee Sports Gaming Act as it would come to be known, was then passed back to the government by Governor Bill Lee, allowing the legislation to continue to be developed.

SWAC was created to oversee the rollout across the state, and the rules were initially legalized in late 2019. A 10% tax would be applied to sports betting revenue on operators, with this tax then going to various projects, including the local governments and education projects.

In November 2020, Tennessee sports betting officially launched with the rollout of three major brands – DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM. They have since been joined on the market by other brands.

Tennessee Sports Teams

To complement the Tennessee sports betting endeavors still on the rise, the Volunteer State is home to some amazing TN sports teams. There are four major professional sports franchises here.

The Tennessee Titans have been members of the NFL since 1997 and have appeared in the playoffs several times. They command a loyal fanbase from their home in the Nissan Stadium in Nashville and also enjoy several rivalries with teams across the other divisions of the NFL.

Another of Nashville’s major sports teams is the Nashville Predators of the NHL. Though they have yet to win the Stanley Cup, they have won a President’s Trophy and several other championships. Nashville’s other big team is Nashville SC of Major League Soccer. The team’s colors of blue and gold are a nod to those of the Predators.

To find the other major sports team in Tennessee, you need to head to Memphis. Here, the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA make their home in FedExForum. They are the only team in a major sports league in the city.

In addition to these major teams, there are an additional eight minor league teams, with four of these being Minor League Baseball clubs. There are also 12 NCAA Division I programs, four of which play in the Football Bowl Subdivision – the highest level of college football.

Tennessee is also home to a NASCAR Cup Series at the Bristol Motor Speedway and the WGC Invitational, a PGA Tour. Though both are not strictly team sports, they are fantastic indicators of the range of sports available in this state. There are sports fans for multiple franchises all across the Volunteer State and beyond, something that the sportsbooks are only too happy to accommodate for.

Retail Sports Betting in Tennessee

Most interestingly, no Tennessee sports betting opportunities are available through retail sportsbooks. Should a player want to visit a sportsbook to place a bet in-person, they will not be able to do so in Tennessee. They will only be able to do so in a state that has legalized retail sports betting and has destinations with this type of betting.

It is very interesting for legislators to decide to make Tennessee sports betting available via online sportsbooks or a sportsbook app only, and it might be something that we see a change in the future. In other states like West Virginia, New Jersey and Las Vegas, major sports betting brands form partnerships with the sports franchises there. Though Tennessee can have stricter rules than most about in-play bets, this is the type of deal that we could see arising in the future.

Doing so would bring awareness to both the betting brands and the franchisees themselves, creating an interesting opportunity. This does not necessarily mean that we will see sportsbooks opening either on stadium grounds or directly adjacent to them, but it could prove useful. Tennessee is generating a massive amount of revenue through its sports betting opportunities, but the risk here is that they are also missing out on potential revenue from those who would rather bet in a retail location over on an app.

Tribal Casinos

Just as no retail sportsbooks offer Tennessee sports betting, so are there no tribal casinos to offer odds. The laws allow a tribe to set up their casino under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act rules. However, no tribe has yet opted to do so. There were rumors that the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of North Carolina were looking to acquire land to construct a casino, but this does not seem to have progressed.

The legislation is there to allow a tribe to set up a casino if they wish, and with this, they should also think about setting up a retail sportsbook. We have seen in other states where tribes have managed to cultivate great success through a full resort complex that features a hotel, casino, sportsbook, and more. This could be something that we see coming to Tennessee at some point.

Though locals might have historically been opposed to casinos and other forms of gambling, there is a niche in the tourist market. Tennessee is home to Dollywood and Graceland, just two of the amazing destinations in this historical state, so it only makes sense that an enterprising tribe looks to corner part of this market with a gambling destination.

Daily Fantasy Sports

Tennessee might have historically been opposed to betting and gambling, but one form of play did become legal even before the repeal of PASPA. Daily fantasy sports have been gaining popularity in the USA for quite some time. Many states have operated in a gray area. No legislation has specifically legalized or outlawed these games, and so many operators have felt that they can offer their games within these states.

This is not the case in Tennessee, which chose to bring out specific legislation back in 2017 which covered the issue. This legislation ensured that daily fantasy sports could be legally offered to players in the Volunteer State. Many top operators now offer these games here, including leading Tennessee sports betting operators FanDuel and DraftKings. Many players will even use one operator for both tasks if they are minded to try both, so these brands work hard to ensure that they can offer a fantastic service.

Offshore Sports Betting

If players are not interested in what Tennessee sports betting offers, they might be tempted to look offshore. Many sites are available online and licensed by offshore regulators, such as Antigua, Curaçao, and Costa Rica. Such sites will also frequently accept American players who wish to bet with them, offering a credible alternative to the brands that operate within the Volunteer State.

The companies that must be avoided are the ones that are not regulated by anyone. Therefore, they are technically operating illegally and should be avoided at all costs. Such sites cannot be considered safe places to bet in the slightest. Instead, bettors in Tennessee should stick to either site licensed by SWAC or credible offshore sportsbetting platforms.

Why would you wish to opt for an offshore sports betting site? This would be understandable in a state that only permitted retail sports betting. However, sports betting can only take place online through apps or websites in Tennessee. This is far more convenient for the average player than always visiting a retail location. Given the caliber of online sportsbooks in Tennessee, there is no reason for a player to look to offshore sports betting opportunities.

Tennessee Horse Racing & Off-Track Betting

Horse betting also represents an interesting point within Tennessee sports betting. Betting on horse racing is technically legal, but there aren’t any live tracks or off-track betting venues where this can take place. In addition to this, the lack of retail sportsbooks means very few places where Tennessee locals can enjoy horse racing and betting.

One of the few options open to them is through TVG. This app offers races from all around the world, and it is one of the better options for anyone who might be interested in what the world of horse racing can offer.

Final Thoughts / Summary

Given the state’s very conservative attitude to wagering in the past, one might be surprised to find it flourishing so successfully now. The introduction of sports betting apps and the rise of trusted brands have opened up the Tennessee sports betting market to various people. It will be fascinating to see how this market continues to grow in the future, especially since they have already legalized key areas like collegiate sports and esports.

However, one gaping hole in the market at the moment is the lack of retail sportsbooks. Though the online market is a great place to focus and is proving to be a success in the Volunteer State, it should be backed up with a robust network of retail sportsbooks that players can turn to in addition to games online. There are none, so it could be something we see addressed in the future.

This could be a factor that comes into play if the tribes of Tennessee decide that they wish to open their casino and gaming facility. As can be seen from other states, this move has proven to be quite successful. It might not be too long before we see either a Tennessee tribe or one from another state attempt to open a casino and sports betting facility somewhere. This action could then form a really interesting knock-on effect across the rest of the industry.

The Volunteer State might not be the first that many think of when sports betting is mentioned, but it is rising. The decision to place it entirely online could be either prosperous or ultimately limiting as the market becomes more crowded – this remains to be seen. However, we can see that there is indeed a market for sports betting in a state that can traditionally be considered more conservative than others. The Tennessee sports betting model might be one that other states consider closely as sports wagering rollouts continue across the USA.