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Online Sports Betting Around the Corner in Tennessee

By Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief Updated: 23 September 2020

Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief

Blake Roberts is the founder of Betting.US and is currently heading the creative team as Editor in Chief. Born and raised in Morgantown, West Virginia, Blake is a great sports fan, with football and basketball being his favorite. He’s our trusted voice for all betting-related matters.

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The Tennessee State Lottery has recently announced that online sports betting is finally coming to the state. This has been a long time coming, as it was technically legalized in May 2019. However, legal processes coupled with the delays caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic have resulted in the state having to wait until now to launch.

It has now been announced that legal online sports betting will arrive in the state by November 1st this year, which means that it will be in place during the football season. Unlike many other states, there are no legal gambling venues in Tennessee for retail sports betting, so the launch of online sports betting facilities will be welcomed by sports fans.

The launch of sports betting will make Tennessee the 18th state across the country to offer legal sports wagering. For sports fans in the state, it will finally give them the opportunity to bet on their favorite sports and teams while enjoying the convenience and ease of online betting.

Four Vendors Apply to Provide Online Sports Betting

According to data, there are four vendors that have so far applied to provide sports betting in the state. Regulators and officials are currently going through the process of checking applications and carrying out background checks before giving their final approval. Once this process is completed, the state will be ready to launch.

Brian Pempus, a sports betting analyst, said:

It’s one of the slower states in terms of authorization and launch. So, it’s good to see that’s finally being on the rise. I don’t think we’re going to have another delay.

He added that with the Tennessee State Lottery seal of approval, sports fans would be able to enjoy peace of mind with regard to the safety and security of their financial information and personal details.

They will also be able to enjoy choice when it comes to sports betting, with a handful of operators to choose from during the early stages of the launch.

Increasing Tax Revenue for the State

The license for operators stands at $750,000 per year, which means that the state will be able to claw back some of the losses experienced during the COVID-19 lockdown. While the state did not experience gaming and sports betting losses like other states, the lockdown still had a huge financial impact on the local economy.

Among the areas that have taken a huge hit due to the pandemic is tourism, and even now, tourism numbers are down due to travel restrictions and lack of confidence due to the pandemic. This means that the state continues to make losses, but the launch of sports betting could help to ease the financial strain.

Once the interested vendors have been approved and online sports betting is launched, sports fans in the state will be able to place bets on a wide range of sports. As football season will be in full swing at the time of launch, there will already be many fans who are eager to place bets.