Tennessee

The Volunteer State joined the list of states with legal sports betting when they launched mobile-only wagering in November 2020. Due to the state’s lack of retail betting facilities, Tennessee’s sports betting scene is strictly online, as there are currently 12 mobile sports betting apps available.

Each state has different rules when it comes to betting on collegiate sports. In Tennessee, bettors can wager on in-state college like the Tennessee Volunteers, but they cannot bet on individual college player props. Outside of college player props, bettors in TN also do not have the option to bet on politics.

In addition to sports betting, residents of the Volunteer State can use daily fantasy sports apps. While there aren't any racetracks in Tennessee, bettors can legally bet on horse racing in other states using racebooks.

Online sports betting in The Volunteer State

The process of getting sports betting off the ground in Tennessee went a bit differently than it does in most other states. After PASPA was overturned in 2018, many states rushed to get a sports betting bill passed. Tennessee waited a year until lawmakers introduced HB 0001, which moved through the state's Senate and House without much of a problem.

Based on Tennessee state law, the Governor had ten days to either sign or veto the bill. By taking no action, the bill will automatically become law without a signature, which was the case with the state's sports betting bill. All sports betting in Tennessee is done online. This is not a standard layout among states with legalized sports betting, but it has worked well for Tennessee.

By November 2020, four mobile sportsbooks were available to accept wagers in the state, including BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, and the lesser-known Action 24/7. Because Tennessee does not have casinos or retail betting locations, these sportsbooks were able to obtain a license without having to partner with a retail facility, which is common amongst most states with sports betting legislation.

Since then, Volunteer State’s mobile betting layout has expanded from the original four sportsbooks. In total, 12 sports betting apps are now available, and more are expected to join the market over time. These additional operators include ESPN Bet, ZenSports, Betly, and the Hard Rock Sportsbook.

Further expansion of the mobile betting market seems imminent, especially since the Tennessee Sports Wagering Advisory Committee took over the process of granting licenses and overseeing the sports betting industry in 2022.

All legal TN sports betting apps in 2025 (from newest to oldest):

Recently Closed Sportsbooks

Sports betting & gambling legislation in TN

Tennessee’s sports betting bill requires bettors to be at least 21 to place a wager. The Tennessee Sports Wagering Advisory Council enforces rules such as the gambling age.

Since retail betting is not available in Tennessee, remote registration is completely legal and the sole method to create a mobile betting account in the state. Bettors can establish as many mobile betting accounts as they wish; they just need to ensure they are within state lines when placing a bet. Remote registration is not only fully accessible to Tennessee bettors, but all gambling winnings in the state are also not subject to state income tax, meaning bettors only have to pay a federal tax of 24% if their winnings exceed $5,000.

In terms of adding more gambling legislation, the Volunteer State does look to be in much of a rush. The discussions of opening up retail betting have been practically non-existent, and the same goes for the potential of the state launching legalized iGaming.

Most recent updates from the TN sports betting scene

• April 14, 2025: Due to an NIL dispute, Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava has entered the transfer portal. The Vols are (+3000) to win the National Championship, and Iamaleava is (+1800) to win the Heisman trophy.

• April 8, 2025: The NFL Draft is a few weeks away, and Cam Ward is currently (-5000) on DraftKings to be selected first overall by the Tennessee Titans.

• March 16, 2025: Bet365 officially enters Tennessee, marking its 12th state in the US expansion alongside Arizona, Colorado, and others. Tennessean bettors can now sign up at tn.bet365.com and access the acclaimed sportsbook.

• March 3, 2025: The Chattanooga Mocs are favored to win the Southern Conference Tournament at (+270).

• February 19, 2025: With five regular season games remaining, the Tennessee Volunteers are (+300) to secure a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

• February 11, 2025: Coming off a National Championship, the Tennessee Volunteers are (-105) to make the College World Series and (+700) to win their second straight National Championship.

• February 4, 2025: Heading into a big game with Missouri, the Tennessee Volunteers are (+9000) to win the SEC Regular Season title.

• January 28, 2025: With plenty of tough conference games to play, the Tennessee Volunteers are (+180) to earn a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

• January 15, 2025: As SEC conference play continues to heat up, the Vanderbilt Commodores are (+135) to make the NCAA Tournament.

Tennessee’s loudest stadiums: Do decibels influence betting trends?

Tennessee fans are renowned for their electrifying game-day atmospheres, but does stadium noise actually influence betting outcomes? Research indicates it might. Neyland Stadium, home to the Tennessee Volunteers, ranks among the loudest college football venues, often exceeding 120 decibels—comparable to a thunderstorm. Meanwhile, Nissan Stadium, where the Tennessee Titans compete, has recorded noise levels nearing 110 decibels during crucial matchups.

So, how does this impact betting? Studies on home-field advantage indicate that deafening crowd noise disrupts opposing quarterbacks’ communication, leading to false starts, and miscommunications—especially in college games where players are fresh out of high school. In the NFL, teams facing extreme crowd noise often struggle with third-down conversions, and betting trends show that home teams in loud stadiums outperform the spread more often than not.

Now, with all of this said, the home team still needs to perform themselves. Even with the crowd noise, the Tennessee Volunteers are 48-58 ATS at home since 2010. Meanwhile, the Titans are 49-66-8 ATS at home in that same time frame, which is a good indicator that while crowd noise may be something to consider, it is also not a logical betting strategy to just bet based on trends such as home-field advantage.

In-person sports betting sites and locations

The amount of casinos in each state varies drastically, and Tennessee is a state that has never had casinos. Whether tribal or commercial, casinos have never been a part of the Volunteer State. As a result, when sports betting was legalized in Tennessee, it was strictly in mobile form.

This sports betting layout has worked perfectly for Tennessee, so the state is unlikely to consider implementing retail sports betting anytime soon.

Gambling and the music industry: Do Tennessee’s country stars secretly bet big?

Tennessee’s country music scene thrives on glitz, grit, and, according to some, risk-taking—so it’s only fitting that some of Nashville’s biggest stars might have an interest in high-stakes gambling. While the state doesn’t have any brick-and-mortar casinos, rumors circulate about private poker games where country legends and emerging artists let the cards do the talking. Some artists have even been rumored to hold financial stakes in sportsbooks, quietly profiting from Tennessee’s expanding online betting market. For instance, Post Malone appears in numerous Hard Rock Sportsbook ads. 

From late-night card games to VIP sportsbook partnerships, the connection between gambling and country music is a well-known secret rarely discussed. With stars recognized for writing songs about heartbreak, taking risks, and rolling the dice on life, it wouldn’t be surprising if some of Nashville’s favorites are betting just as big offstage as they do in their careers.

Sports betting in neighboring states

Tennessee certainly has its fair share of neighboring states, with eight in total. This gives residents five states they can cross the border into and still find legalized sports betting.

The only states travelers won’t find legal sports betting in are Alabama, Georgia, and Missouri. To find out why these states have maintained strict laws on the topic, you can select them in the table below.

Sports betting revenue impact on Tennessee's economy

Online operators must pay an annual fee of $750,000 to obtain and maintain a sports betting license in Tennessee. The tax rate for mobile sportsbooks in the Volunteer State is currently set at 20%. In addition to the usual 20% tax rate, mobile operators must also pay a 1.85% tax on the monthly handle. This additional tax stems from the passing of HB 1362, which was passed in 2023.

Although Tennessee only offers mobile sports betting, it is still doing well in sports betting statistics. During 2024 alone, the Volunteer State accumulated just over $5.2 billion in handle and north of $97 million in tax income.

As a side note, as of July 2023, the state has not reported the monthly revenue figures anymore, so the monthly reports include only the total handle and generated tax figures. These last two figures have continually improved, which indicates that the TN betting market is still steadily growing on a year-on-year basis.

Wyoming and Vermont are the only other states with mobile betting and no retail betting, but due to their size, they do nowhere near as well as Tennessee in sports betting revenue data. For comparison, the WY betting market has seen over $592 million in handle since legalizing sports wagering, while Tennessee has seen over $15.8 billion.

Tennessee sports betting record months:

• Sports betting handle: November 2024 ($594,387,437)

• Revenue: November 2023 ($51,714,138)

  • Not reported after June 2023

• Tax income: November 2024 ($10,969,178)

Latest TN sports betting revenue report breakdown (February 2025)

• Gross wagers: $417,400,387

  • Adjustments: $3,894,572

• Gross sports betting handle: $413,505,815

• Tax revenue for the state: $7,631,217

Reported by the Tennessee’s Sports Wagering Advisory Council (SWAC).

Recent revenue report data - Compared to the previous year (YoY)

TN sports betting revenue in 2025

As a reminder, Tennessee Lottery's Sports Betting Council dropped the monthly sports betting revenue off their reports in July 2023. Therefore, the following table shows only the monthly betting handle, its change compared to the previous month, and the tax revenue for 2025.

2024 revenue data

Yearly revenue totals

• * = The total gross sports betting revenue is as of July 2023. From that month on, the Tennessee Sports Wagering Council stopped publishing revenue totals in its monthly reports.

Dollywood Drop Timing Wagers: Betting on Ride Duration, Queue Lengths, or First Screamers

At Dollywood, thrill-seekers don’t just chase butterflies, they chase adrenaline. But what if they could also chase winnings? That leads us to the Dollywood Drop Timing Wagers, where rollercoaster fans and novelty bettors alike could cash in on ride-related predictions. From betting on queue wait times for Wild Eagle to guessing exact ride durations down to the second, the potential for low-stakes, high-fun micro-wagers is sky-high.

Ride operators already track wait times, ride durations, and rider data, meaning much of the roller-coaster betting market infrastructure exists. All that’s needed is legal backing for theme park novelty markets, which could be offered through licensed mobile apps within Dollywood or even statewide, if Tennessee expands its betting legislation and becomes one of the more revolutionary betting states. 

Even if only 0.05% of Tennessee’s $4+ billion annual betting handle went toward Dollywood-themed novelty bets, it could generate over $2 million in new wagers and $200,000+ in tax revenue, all while making family fun even more interactive, and ride waits more tolerable.

Hot chicken heat index: Predicting scoville surprises at local cookoffs

Nashville’s hot chicken isn’t just a painful yet delightful culinary expedition, but it’s a cultural phenomenon, and now it could become a flavorful new frontier in novelty betting. With heat levels measured in Scoville units, local cookoffs could introduce prop-style wagers like “Which vendor serves the spiciest dish?”, “How many contestants tap out early?” or “Who drinks the most milk after one bite?” These cookoffs already do big numbers and attract media coverage, making them favorable for betting markets.

If Tennessee dives into expanding its sports betting legislation to include food-themed wagering, the Hot Chicken Heat Index could add thousands in micro-bets to the state’s overall handle. Even capturing 0.05% of Tennessee’s multi-billion-dollar sports betting market through food-related novelty events could result in six figures in additional wagers and tens of thousands in new tax revenue. In the land of hot yet delictable chicken, betting on heat might just turn culinary creativity into serious state profits.