Is Sports Betting Legal in Tennessee?
Sports betting was legalized in Tennessee in 2019, not long after the Supreme Court ruled that the previous ban against betting on sports was unconstitutional. Known as the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, this ban prevented states from regulating sports betting until it was overturned in 2018.
While Tennessee has strict laws against other forms of gambling, it was quick to set up legal and licensed sports betting. Governor Bill Lee approved a new bill in 2019, making Tennessee the first state to allow online but not retail sports betting, with the Tennessee Education Lottery originally in charge of setting up regulations and approving licenses.
Timeline of Tennessee Sports Betting
- May 14, 2018 – The US Supreme Court rules that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) is unconstitutional, meaning states can now regulate sports betting.
- January 8, 2019 – HB 0001 is introduced to the Tennessee House of Representatives to legalize online sports betting.
- May 24, 2019 – The HB 0001 bill passes through the House and the Senate and is approved without signature by Governor Bill Lee.
- November 1, 2020 – The first online sportsbooks launched in Tennessee, including BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, and locally owned Tennessee Action 24/7.
- January 1, 2022 – The Tennessee Sports Wagering Council is established to take over the regulation and licensing of sports betting from the Tennessee Education Lottery.
TN Sports Betting at a Glance
| Tennessee retail sports betting legal status | Legal and live |
| Tennessee online sports betting legal status | Legal and live |
| Tennessee online sports betting launch date | November 1, 2020 |
| Tennessee sports betting regulator | Tennessee Sports Wagering Council |
| Number of sportsbook licenses available | 14 |
| Total bets placed in first month | $131 million |
| Sportsbook tax rate | 20% |
Top Tennessee Sportsbooks
- BetMGM – Exclusive live streams
- FanDuel – Excellent mobile app
- DraftKings – Very accessible site
- Caesars – Great welcome offer
- PointsBet – Lots of unique markets
- Action 24/7 – Simple betting interface
- WynnBet – Fast payments
- Barstool – Unique promotions
- Betly– Regular boosts
Choosing the Right TN Sports Betting Site for You
Before you can start betting on sports, you need to choose a sportsbook and create your account. This process is relatively simple, but with so many options available, it can be hard to know which sportsbook to join. When deciding on where you start betting, we recommend looking at the following criteria:
Reviews
Checking sportsbook reviews is, of course, the fastest and simplest way to evaluate a betting site and work out whether or not it’s worth joining. Our review team personally signs up to each legal Tennessee betting site and tests them out, making deposits, placing bets, and requesting withdrawals. We look at all aspects of each site and write them up in each review, updating them regularly to give you the best idea of what to expect.
Bonuses
Bonuses and promos are special rewards and offers that sportsbooks provide to encourage new customers to sign up. You can find promos to claim at all TN betting sites, and they’re generally very easy to claim and use. However, some are much better than others, and we always recommend that you check out the terms and conditions before you claim.
Some common bonuses available at Tennessee sportsbooks include:
- Free bets/bet credits
- Risk-free bets
- No deposit offers
- Matched deposit offers
- Odds boosts
Odds and Lines
Don’t forget to check out the odds and lines available at your sportsbook before you sign up. The odds can make a big difference to your profits, as better odds mean more winnings if your bet is successful. Similarly, better lines mean a higher chance of success. While odds can be similar between Tennessee betting sites, our research shows that the variation is significant enough to affect your long-term profits.
Sports and Markets
While you might have a particular sport you prefer to bet on, having more options is always best. This means that even in the offseason, you’ll have other events to bet on, and most TN sportsbooks we’ve tested feature a huge range of sports. This includes major leagues, as well as sports and tournaments that are being held outside the US.
Popular sports available to bet on in Tennessee include:
- NFL
- NBA
- MLB
- NHL
- MLS
- College Sports
- Tennis
- Golf
- Motorsports
- Premier League Soccer
- Champions League Soccer
- MMA
- Boxing
Don’t forget to consider the different markets you can bet on too. These are the options available to predict and place bets on each event. Bigger and more popular events will have more markets, but the best Tennessee sportsbooks ensure you have loads of markets to bet on for all games.
Popular markets include:
- Moneyline
- Point spread
- Point total
- Player props
- Game props
- Futures
- Parlays
- Same game parlays
Usability
Before you sign up, it’s also important to take a look at how easy the site is to use. Ideally, you should be able to sign up and find your favorite sporting events with just a few clicks. The best sportsbooks have a fast and straightforward sign up process while also ensuring that all events and markets are easy to find. Check out the menus and search function of the site before you join, and see if it also offers helpful guides on how to bet.
Payments
Before you can start betting, you’re going to need to fund your account by making a deposit. All real money sportsbooks have a cashier section, which should accept a variety of payment methods. Of course, if you’re choosing a site to join, you want to make sure it accepts your preferred payment method. In addition, the deposit and withdrawal process should be fast, convenient, and without any fees or restrictive limits.
Customer Support
Customer support is another aspect that you don’t want to overlook. While it’s rare to have issues while betting at a legitimate online sportsbook, you might still have questions about how to use the site. In that case, being able to get in touch with the customer support team is a big advantage, and the best sites make it easy to contact them.
Popular customer support options at Tennessee sportsbooks include:
- FAQ pages
- Live chat
- Phone support
- Email address
Signing Up to a Tennessee Sportsbook
Once you’ve chosen your Tennessee betting site, you’ll need to create an account before you can start placing bets. Thankfully, the sign up process is extremely simple. All you need to do is follow these steps:
- Visit the site through your browser or download the mobile app on your device
- Choose the Sign Up or Create Account option
- Complete the form, making sure all of your personal details are correct
- Agree to the site’s terms and conditions
- Complete the ID and location checks to complete the sign up process
Making Your First Deposit at Your TN Betting Site
Of course, you’ll also need to have funds in your account before you can start betting. Some TN sportsbooks offer no deposit promos, but in most cases, you’ll have to make a deposit once you’ve signed up. All deposits at licensed sportsbooks are free and instant, and you can normally choose from a range of different payment options.
Popular payment methods at TN betting sites that you can use for deposits include:
- Online banking
- Debit/credit cards
- Wire transfer
- ACH/eCheck
- PayPal
- Paynearme
Claiming Tennessee Sportsbook Promos
All of the sportsbooks available in Tennessee have promos and bonuses available for you to claim. We’ve claimed and tested them out for ourselves, and we know how to get the maximum value out of each offer. Before you try to use your bonus, it’s important to understand the terms and conditions. Reading the terms carefully will help you claim your TN betting promo properly and get more out of it.
Here are some common terms and conditions you’re likely to come across at TN betting sites:
| Terms and Conditions | Example | Explanation |
| Wagering requirement/rollover | 25x | Complete the wagering to withdraw your bonus |
| Promo code | BONUS10 | Enter the promo code when making a deposit to claim your bonus |
| Minimum deposit | $20 | Deposit at least this amount to claim the bonus |
| Minimum bet | $10 | Make a bet of at least this amount to claim the bonus |
| Minimum odds | -200 | Make a bet at these odds or greater to claim the bonus |
Your Guide to Tennessee Sportsbook Payouts
The best part of winning a big bet is cashing out your winnings and enjoying your money. If you have enough funds in your account, you can request a withdrawal at any time. Tennessee sportsbooks make payouts relatively simple. All you need to do is follow these steps:
- Check you have enough funds to at least cover the minimum withdrawal amount
- Open the cashier and choose your payment method
- Enter the amount you’d like to withdraw and confirm it
- Wait for your withdrawal to be approved and your money to reach you
In most cases, you’ll need to choose a payment method that you previously used to deposit funds to your sportsbook account.
The time it takes for your payout to arrive will depend on two factors. The first is the sportsbooks itself, which will need to approve your withdrawal. This generally takes around 24 hours, based on the data we’ve seen on Tennessee sportsbooks. Then, you’ll also need to wait for your payment method to process the payout. Some methods are much faster than others, as you can see from this table which is based on our research:
| Payment Method | Withdrawal Time |
| Debit card | 1-5 days |
| PayPal | 30 minutes to 1 day |
| Bank transfer | 1-7 days |
Betting on Your Mobile in TN
All Tennessee sportsbooks are fully accessible on your mobile, so you can sign in from anywhere. Provided you’re within the state borders, you can use all of the main features of the sportsbook and place bets. Whether you use the mobile site or download the available app, you’ll get full access to all the same promos, sports, markets, and odds as everyone else.
We’ve tested out all of the Tennessee betting apps to make sure they work well on a variety of devices. You can discover our list of the best mobile betting apps, and although it’s possible to bet without downloading anything, we recommend the app for a smoother and more convenient experience.
The Biggest and Most Popular Tennessee Sports to Bet On
Sports are huge across the Volunteer State, with fans following a range of different teams across different sports and competitions. You can bet on all of them at Tennessee sportsbooks, including the state’s most popular teams. Here are some of the most popular sports to bet on in Tennessee:
NFL
Football is, without a doubt, the biggest sport in the US and huge in Tennessee, where it’s followed with extreme passion. The state is home to the Tennessee Titans, who are based in Nashville and play out of the Nissan Stadium. They’ve made it to the Super Bowl once in their history, back in 2000 but missed out to the St Louis Rams. Fans are still waiting to see their team lift the Vince Lombardi trophy.
NBA
While football may be the most popular sport in Tennessee, basketball is also huge. There are loads of fans of the NBA throughout the state who mostly follow the ups and downs of the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies moved to Memphis from Vancouver in 2002, and while they’ve never won the Championship, they won two division titles in 2022 and 2023.
MLB
Baseball doesn’t have quite the same following as it once did, with America’s Pastime being overlooked for the excitement of football and basketball. In Tennessee, it remains popular, although the state is without its own MLB franchise. Most baseball fans in the state follow teams playing in the Southern or International leagues or follow an out-of-state MLB team.
NHL
Hockey is big in Tennessee too, despite the climate making it less of a natural sport in this state. Nashville, TN, became home to the state’s first NHL franchise in 1998 when the Nashville Predators were formed. Playing out of the Bridgestone Arena, the Preds have a big following, and while they’ve never won the Stanley Cup, they did lift the President’s Trophy in the 2017-18 season.
MLS
Support for soccer is growing across the US, especially with the upcoming World Cup. While many fans still prefer watching Premier League soccer, the MLS is improving in quality and popularity every season. Fans in Tennessee can watch Nashville SC in the MLS, which already has a lot of support despite being only seven years old.
College Sports
College sports are also huge in Tennessee, especially college football. The Tennessee Volunteers are one of the biggest teams in the SEC, and the state has permitted sportsbooks to offer odds on all college events. However, while you’ll be able to bet on the outcome of college games, player and game props aren’t permitted.
Why Join Multiple TN Sportsbooks
They say you can never have too much of a good thing, and the same is true for online sportsbook accounts. While you can only create one account per site, you can still join as many betting sites as you feel like. There are lots of benefits to joining multiple sportsbooks, including the ones we’ve listed below:
Claim More Bonuses
Claiming promos and bonuses is one of the best parts of joining online sportsbooks and placing bets. While you can only get one welcome bonus per site, you can still claim each promo from each site you join. By creating accounts with multiple sportsbooks, you’ll have more bonuses and hopefully more winnings too.
Get the Best Odds
Before you place a bet, we always recommend comparing the odds between different sites. If you want to always get the best odds and make the most of lines before they move, it’s helpful to have an account with all the top sportsbooks. This way, you can consistently get better odds and win more profit from your successful bets.
Enjoy More Features
While some features are universal, many sportsbooks offer different features, including new ways to bet, unique stats, and live streams. If you want to make the most of these features and get the best possible betting experience, we recommend signing up to different sites and checking them out. This way, you’ll get a feel for which features you like the most too.
Tennessee Sports Betting FAQ
Is it legal to bet on sports in Tennessee?
Yes, Tennessee has legalized online sports betting and the first legal bets were placed on November 1, 2020. You can bet on a variety of different sports, and there are lots of legal TN sportsbooks to choose from.
What are the restrictions on sports betting in TN?
To legally sign up and start betting, you need to be at least 21 years old. While you don’t necessarily need to be a resident of TN, you will need to be within the state’s borders when you place your bets. Betting on professional and college sports is allowed, though you won’t be able to place prop bets on college games.
Can I claim bonuses and rewards at TN sportsbooks?
Yes, all the best sportsbooks in Tennessee offer bonuses and promotions as an incentive to encourage people to sign up. These are often easy to claim and help you get more value from your bets. Check out our list of the top TN sportsbook promos.
Are Tennessee sportsbook apps available?
Tennessee sportsbooks are only available online, and you can use any device to access them. This includes mobile, and all the top sportsbooks have their own app which you can download. Discover the best TN betting apps on our page.
Sources
Author
Tom Edlin is a senior author and contributor to SportsbookPromo.com. He's been writing and reporting on the US sports betting industry for years and has crafted hundreds of in-depth reviews and guides.
