Tennessee Online Sports Betting
Legal sports betting is live in the state of Tennessee. Anyone within state lines is now eligible to bet on sports using a legal, licensed sportsbook. Even those passing through for a business trip or bachelorette party can place wagers during their time in the Volunteer State, no matter how brief.
The Tennessee legislature passed its sports betting law in 2019, which paved the way for the nation’s first online-only sports betting industry. With no casinos in the state, all legal bets must be placed over the internet with a licensed operator.
After taking some time to settle on its final rules, Tennessee’s exciting new industry officially took flight on November 1, 2020. It was a shotgun start, with multiple books accepting wagers on day 1. Below we’ve got every detail that you need to know about sports betting in TN!
Tennessee Sports Betting Information
So who can place a wager in Tennessee? You’ll have to check a few boxes first:
- Players must be within state lines. As long as you are located within Tennessee’s borders, you can legally wager.
- The legal gambling age in Tennessee is 21, so bettors must be 21 or older.
There are some stark differences between how sports betting in Tennessee operates relative to other states:
- Unlike states like Nevada that thrive off of in-person wagering at casinos/sportsbooks, all Tennessee sports wagering happens online.
- Account registration also occurs online, unlike states that are more heavily dependent on brick-and-mortar books.
- Since there are no brick-and-mortar licensing partners, there are no in-person cashouts.
Top Tennessee Online Sportsbooks
BetMGM
- TN Mobile Launch: November 1, 2020
- Tech Partner: ROAR Digital
BetMGM has emerged as the top online sports betting and casino brand for ROAR Digital, a joint venture from MGM Resorts International and GVC Holdings. Backed by lucrative investment, the site features incredible software, promotions, and overall rewards. BetMGM competes for top billing in every market that it enters.
Tennessee was the company’s fifth state for online sports betting, following in the footsteps of New Jersey, West Virginia, Indiana, and Colorado.
Caesars Sportsbook
- TN Mobile Launch: March 11, 2021
- Tech Partner: William Hill
Caesars Sportsbook (previously William Hill) is one of the biggest sportsbook brands both here in America and in Europe. It has a strong presence in all the states in which it operates, including Virginia and Michigan, often partnering with a retail casino to offer a wide variety of betting markets. Caesars bought the William Hill company in September 2020 for $3.7 billion, and rebranded it as Caesars Sportsbook in August 2021.
DraftKings
- TN Mobile Launch: November 1, 2020
- Tech Partner: Kambi
The DraftKings brand has become synonymous with sports in the U.S. After years of relentless advertising pushes for DFS, the company is now a key fixture in online sports betting, too. Its mobile app, promotions, support, and overall betting experience is difficult to match.
DraftKings has been the most active online sportsbook in the expanding U.S. market. After being the very first operator to take bets in New Jersey, the company has moved quickly to secure its market share in a ton of other states including Illinois and Iowa.
Tennessee Action 24/7
- TN Mobile Launch: November 1, 2020
- Tech Partner: Sportradar/Amelco
Tennessee Action 24/7 is a hometown option for TN bettors. Owned and staffed by actual Tennesseans, its a nice change of pace from the enormous gambling entities that it competes against.
ESPN BET
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FanDuel
- TN Mobile Launch: November 1, 2020
- Tech Partner: IGT
FanDuel is among the most active, successful online sportsbooks in the United States. Having come up in the iGaming industry as a top provider of Daily Fantasy Sports contests, the company successfully adapted to include online sports betting in its business model. FanDuel sportsbooks are now available in a host of states throughout the country, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and many more.
Wagr
- TN Mobile Launch: January 20, 2022
- Tech Partner: Sports Info Solutions
Wagr is a peer-to-peer sportsbook that allows individuals to bet against each other rather than against a sportsbook. It has yet to take off but has the potential to become popular due to the fact that people can name their own prices. Don’t like what the sportsbook is offering? With Wagr you can name your own price and someone might take your action.
Hard Rock Sportsbook
- TN Mobile Launch: September 6, 2022
- Tech Partner: Scientific Games
Hard Rock Sportsbook is live in Tennessee. Bettors in the Northeastern part of the state are no doubt familiar with the Hard Rock Casino in neighboring Bristol, Virginia. Now everyone in the state can use the Hard Rock Sportsbook app to wager on their favorite teams.
Betly Sportsbook
- TN Mobile Launch: August 2022
- Tech Partner: GAMING1
Betly operates a retail sportsbook in West Memphis, Arkansas, across the Mississippi river from Memphis, Tennessee. It made sense that the company would cross the river and join the action in Tennessee as the most recent sportsbook in the state.
PrizePicks New Game: Arena Pick ‘EM
There’s a brand new game on PrizePicks to choose from right now as the platform expands into Tennessee for the first time. Arena Pick’Em is a new game style where you can compete for guaranteed prizes. The platform sorts users into groups matching their number of entries, selected entry fee and experience level on the PrizePicks platform.
Betr Picks: A New Way to Play DFS
Tennessee’s newest sports iGaming experience comes from Betr, who arrived in the Volunteer State in 2024. Betr Picks combines daily fantasy action with a sports betting flair. Users can choose “more” or “less” for a player’s stats, with payout reaching 100x if their selections are all successful.
TN Online Betting Options
Bettors in Tennessee enjoy access to a bevy of different wagering options. While some of these options may differ between operators, most of what they see remains consistent book-to-book. Let’s touch on some of the most common betting choices that players will come across.
- Betting the moneyline: This is a very simple form of betting – if the team you bet on wins, you win. If that team loses, you lose. However, lots of new bettors struggle to understand what the odds associated with each team indicate. Betting on the favored team requires you to risk more money than you profit, while getting down on the underdog pays out more than it requires you to risk. If a team is listed at -150 moneyline odds – which would indicate they are the favorite – one would need to wager $150 to profit $100. If a team is listed at +130 moneyline odds as an underdog, a $100 wager would lead to $130 in profit.
- Betting totals: In this format, bettors aren’t concerned with who wins – they are simply concerned with how many total points/runs/goals are scored over the course of the game. A “total” will be posted for each game on the board – if the score of the game goes over the posted total, “over” bettors go home happy. If the score goes under the posted total, under bettors reap the benefits. Let’s say a hypothetical Predators game has a total of 6.5 goals. If the total number of goals scored is six or less, the under hits. If the total number of goals is seven or more, the over hits.
- Futures: Want to bet on who will win next year’s Super Bowl? Confident that the Titans will win the AFC next season? Futures bets might be for you. This betting format allows you to get long-term wagers down and instead of getting action on a single game, you have a rooting interest all season long.
- Props: Prop betting has been made famous by the Super Bowl, but it’s prevalent in other sports as well. Game props, player props, team props – there are tons of different ways to wager on sporting events. Props can be advantageous for players who have access to strong daily projections, as they can help identify potentially bad lines in the market. Given that limits are lower on props than moneyline/spread/total bets, the market isn’t considered quite as efficient.
- Betting the spread: In contrast to the moneyline, spread bettors aren’t completely caught up in which team wins a game. They are ultimately curious as to the margin of defeat. The “spread” essentially evens the playing field between two teams; an initial opening line is released, and that line may move depending on action on either side. Let’s say the Titans are -3.5 point favorites against the Jaguars. In order to cover the spread, the Titans would need to win by four or more points. If the Titans win the game but only win by 3, the Jaguars spread bettors would cash their tickets because Jacksonville finished within 3.5 points.
- Parlays: This format involves grouping multiple bets into one single wager – all of your teams/sides need to win in order for your ticket to cash. Because multiple wagers need to be won on the same ticket, parlays payout more than a typical spread bet. The industry standard for two-team parlay payouts is 2.6 to 1, with three team parlays pay out at 6 to 1, four-team at 11 to 1 and five-team at 22 to 1. Parlays are generally considered poor value over time, so be careful with these types of wagers.
When establishing its rule book Tennessee decided to permit most wagers on college sports. That’s right, the Vols and ‘Dores are fair game. The only exception is that individual college props are off the table in order to take some of the heat off of specific players. For example, you can’t bet on a specific Tennessee basketball player to score more than 10 points, or a particular football player to score a touchdown.
General Summary of Banking Options
Each online sportsbook provides players with a number of different methods for depositing and withdrawing. All active books make the process very simple. Typical banking options include:
- PayPal
- Visa/Mastercard or other major credit cards
- ACH/ECheck
- PayNearMe
- Paper Check
- Online Banking / Online Bill Pay
PayPal is generally the simplest option and there aren’t usually fees attached to those types of deposits/withdrawals. Paying with a major credit/debit card is another common form that should work for any adult of legal gambling age. An electronic check or an online bill pay service set up through ones bank are also popular.
All transactions are fast and efficient. Bettors have constant access to their funds.
Mobile Betting Platforms in Tennessee
Given that TN sports betting is online-only, mobile betting apps are all the rage. They are available for all devices, both iOS and Android. Bettors can jump into the action from anywhere in the state, using just about any piece of tech. Those looking for a bigger display may prefer to place bets from a sportsbook’s website using their computer.
The option to easily bet from a cell phone gives players tons of options. The couch, the car, the bus, the bar – you can take your preferred sportsbook to all of them.
Benefits of Legal Mobile Sports Betting
The legalization of online sports betting in Tennessee creates a multitude of benefits for the player, the state and the operators themselves.
For the players, it ensures that they’ll be able to wager with a reputable brand rather than a neighborhood bookie – let’s not forget that sports betting was still a booming industry before it was legal. Going through the legal parameters help ensure quality, safety, and the ability to shop between books leads to players getting better numbers over time.
It’s also big for the economy – sports betting generates a ton of revenue and the state economy benefits as a result.
Players are given safe and reliable deposit/withdrawal methods while going the legal route, not to mention faster payouts. Books payout winning bets within minutes and the quality of the mobile apps/desktop sites make the entire process a smooth ride.
Gambling History in Tennessee
In short, there hasn’t been much of a gambling history here – it’s generally been just the opposite! Outside of the state lottery that was legalized in the early 2000s, there has been very little in the state that would appeal to a typical gambler.
We have not seen any sort of casino legalization in the state’s history. That means no casino games and no poker, whether it be online or in-person. However, bordering states like Kentucky and Mississippi do offer casino gaming.
On April 30th of 2019, the Tennessee state legislature passed a bill legalizing sports betting, and Governor Bill Lee allowed it to pass through without his signature. The bill was sponsored by Senator Steve Dickerson and Representative Rick Staples. The mobile/online-only format was the first of its kind in the United States, which means bettors can only wager from internet-connected devices. The law officially went into effect on July 1st of 2019, and legal betting began on November 1, 2020.
TN Sports Betting FAQs
Is it legal to bet on sports in Tennessee?
It sure is! As of November 1, 2020, online sports betting is legal and live in the state of Tennessee.
Who oversees sports betting in Tennessee?
The Tennessee State Lottery Commission Board was appointed in November of 2019 to oversee sports betting in the state.
What is the legal age to bet on sports in Tennessee?
The legal wagering age in the Volunteer State is 21.
Is online/mobile sports betting legal in Tennessee?
Yes, it’s the only type of wagering legal in the state. There will be no brick and mortar casinos or retail locations to place wagers.
Are there any casinos in Tennessee?
There is not a casino presence in Tennessee, but neighboring states do feature casino gaming and poker.