States / Tennessee / Sports betting

Is sports betting legal in Tennessee?

Yes. In Tennessee, online sports betting is legal (as of Oct 11, 2026). Online betting launched Nov 2020. Operators pay 1.85% HANDLE in tax.

Channel	Status	Launched	Model	Details
Sports (online)	Live	Nov 2020	Competitive	Legalized via Public Chapter 507 (signed/allowed to become law without the Governor's signature, effective 7/1/2019); regulated initially by the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation with SWC in an advisory role, then transferred to the independent Sports Wagering Council effective 1/1/2022 (Public Chapter 593). 13 operators were licensed as of February 5, 2024. Launch date inferred from the council's earliest monthly revenue reports (November 2020). Tenn. Code Ann. Title 4, Chapter 49, Part 1 (Tennessee Sports Gaming Act), as amended by 2023 Pub. Ch. 450 [1],[2]
Sports (retail)	Not authorized			Tennessee is the only major sports-wagering state with an online-only market; no statute authorizes retail/in-person sportsbooks. Tenn. Code Ann. Title 4, Chapter 49, Part 1 (Tennessee Sports Gaming Act) [1],[3]

Tax rate

Rate	Since	Notes
1.85% HANDLE (online)	Jul 1, 2023	'Public Chapter 450 changed the privilege tax to 1.85% of an operator's gross handle.' Handle defined as the total amount of dollars wagered that a sportsbook has accepted from its bettors. SWC collected ~$93 million total from taxes and fees in FY2023.[1]

Minimum age to place a sports wager: 21 · 'In Tennessee, individuals 21 years of age and older may wager online on approved sporting events...'[1]
Wagering on college sports allowed at all: Yes · Approved league events include 'certain seasonal and post-season awards, and certain collegiate awards.'[1]
Esports wagering allowed: Yes[1]
Online sports wagering available statewide (not tethered to premises): Yes[1]
Any per-wager fee/tax (e.g. Illinois 2025 per-bet tax) summary: No per-bet tax; the state instead taxes handle directly at 1.85% (see tax_rates) rather than imposing a separate per-wager fee.[1]

Operator	Brand	Channel	Status	Launched
Bally's Corporation	Bally Bet	Sports (online)	active	[4]
bet365	bet365	Sports (online)	active	[4]
BetMGM	BetMGM	Sports (online)	active	[4]
Caesars Entertainment	Caesars Sportsbook	Sports (online)	active	[4]
DraftKings	DraftKings	Sports (online)	active	[4]
Fanatics Betting and Gaming	Fanatics Sportsbook	Sports (online)	active	[4]
FanDuel	FanDuel Sportsbook	Sports (online)	active	[4]
Hard Rock Digital	Hard Rock Bet	Sports (online)	active	[4]
PENN Entertainment	theScore Bet	Sports (online)	active	[4]