Sports betting

Tennessee

Sports Betting Laws in Tennessee: 2026-2026 Guide

Tennessee sports betting is legal online-only. Learn the rules, licensed operators, tax rates, age limits, and 2025 regulatory changes under TCA Title 4, Chapter 49.

By Steven Cooper · Founder & Editor

Verified June 7, 20266 statute sources

AI-drafted, human-reviewed

How we build these guides

Sourcing

Adapters pull primary data from the FAA, IRS, OpenStates, DSIRE, NORML, PubMed, Census/BLS/FRED, Google Civic, and Data.gov.

Generation pipeline

Multi-stage AI pipeline: structural outline → long-form draft → cross-family fact-check editor → readability polish → FAQ enrichment. Each stage uses a different model family so factual drift is caught before publish.

Quality gates

Soft gates on word count, citation count, and banned-phrase screening; hard blocks if required sections are missing.

Verification cadence

Pages are re-verified quarterly. verified_at updates on every pass.

Not legal advice. Consult an attorney or CPA for binding guidance.

TennesseeSports betting

#37 of 50·4 state statutes cited·Below median

Quick Answer: Is Sports Betting Legal in Tennessee?

Yes. Tennessee became one of the first states to authorize online-only sports betting when Governor Bill Lee signed the Tennessee Sports Gaming Act into law in 2019 (TCA Title 4, Chapter 49). The first legal bets were placed in November 2020.

The model has specific features:

Online and mobile only. No retail sportsbooks, casino floors, or in-person betting windows exist. Every legal wager in Tennessee happens through a licensed app or website.
Age and location. You must be 21 or older and physically located within Tennessee's borders when you place a bet. Geolocation technology enforces this in real time.
Minimum hold requirement. Tennessee is the only state that mandates operators retain at least 10% of total handle (the gross amount wagered).
Tax rate. Licensed operators pay 20% of adjusted gross income to the state.
Regulator. The Tennessee Sports Wagering Council (SWC) issues licenses, sets rules, and enforces compliance.

Currently Licensed Operators

The SWC maintains the official licensee list on its website.

Sources & Verification (6)

Gambling - As introduced, designates illegal gambling and related activities as a violation of the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act; expands the authority of the sports wagering council to investigate illegal gambling and gaming activity; expands the investigative authority of the attorney general and reporter to investigate unlawful activity within the purview of the attorney general and reporter. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 4, Chapter 49; Title 8, Chapter 6, Part 4; Title 40, Chapter 2 and Title 47.
Education, Higher - As introduced, creates the public institution athletic program fund, which consists of proceeds from a fee paid by vendors registered with the sports wagering council; authorizes the Tennessee higher education commission to award grants from the fund to public institutions to assist with expenses for recruiting intercollegiate athletes. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 49; Title 9 and Title 49.
Gaming - As introduced, requires a licensee offering interactive sports wagering in this state to restrict access to such wagering on certain campuses of public institutions of higher education; requires certain public institutions of higher education to restrict internet access to interactive sports wagering on campus. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 49, Part 1 and Title 49.
Gaming - As introduced, clarifies that a provision of law voiding wagering contracts does not apply to a transaction to make a wager under the Tennessee Sports Gaming Act. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 29; Title 38; Title 39; Title 47; Title 49 and Title 67.
Murphy v. NCAA, 138 S. Ct. 1461 (2018) — Supreme Court decision invalidating PASPA, returning sports betting authority to states.
Federal Wire Act (18 U.S.C. §1084) — interstate wagering prohibitions and 2018 DOJ reinterpretation scope.

Last verified: June 7, 2026

Editorial process: See methodology →

How we verify: 9 source adapters (FAA, DSIRE, IRS, OpenStates, etc.) → AI draft → AI editor → AI polish → spot human review.

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