One of the biggest issues that is being discussed in states all across America is whether or not sports betting should be legalized. The state of Tennessee has been discussing the issue since the United State Supreme Court lifted the federal ban on sports betting across the country. New Jersey was the first state to legalize it in their state, and the folks of Tennessee were determined to follow right behind them. There are many issues to consider when discussing legalizing sports betting, but money is always at the heart of the issue, and the state can make a lot of it by making it legal.
Most people will associate the state of Tennessee with Nashville and country music, but there are also plenty of die-hard sports fans and some great teams around the state. With the popularity of sports increasing throughout Tennessee, it is only natural that the state discuss legalizing sports betting. There has been plenty of debate and discussion around this topic within the state, and let’s take a look at the outcome of what has taken place. The sports betting scene in Tennessee is about to take off.
Status of Sports Betting in Tennessee
Many people predicted that 2019 would be the year that Tennessee would legalize betting on sports, and that is exactly the case. The House and Senate approved a new bill to legalize sports betting at the end of April, and Governor Bill Lee announced that he would let the bill pass without signing it. Not everyone in the state of Tennessee was in favor of this happening, but the legislatures pulled the trigger despite plenty of opposition. This new bill will come into effect on July 1, 2019, and it does have some limitations that could keep sports betting under control for the most part.
Even though betting on sports will become legal in Tennessee in a few months, most people won’t notice a major change due to the limitations that are coming with this new law. A person has to be at least 21 years of age to legally bet on sports in Tennessee, and all betting must be done online. In other words, you won’t see any physical locations that allows sports betting, even in some of the biggest and best sports cities in the state.
The state of Tennessee is also taking additional steps to ensure that they are getting back most of the revenue that comes along with the betting industry. Anyone who wants to operate an online sportsbook will pay the state nearly 30 cents per every dollar, and they will be limited to what kind of bets can be offered on their sites. The actual betting sites themselves will have to be registered by the state, and all of them will look the same for the most part. So you, legalized sports betting is coming to Tennessee, but the state did a great job of protecting themselves as this thing gets going.
Best Places To Bet in Tennessee
Tennessee is one of the few states in the country that doesn’t have any casinos that are currently in operation. Gambling is not generating a ton of money for the state at this time, but that is going to change in a hurry when sports betting becomes legal. Lawmakers claim that they are not going to allow any physical betting establishments or kiosks to take bets, but that will likely change before too long when the state realizes their earning potential.
You can bet that there will eventually be betting kiosks set up at FedExForum in Memphis and Nissan Stadium in Nashville. There is just too much money to be had, and the state will want to get their crazed fans betting while they are watching their favorite teams. You can expect that there will be plenty of Titans fans that are making bets from their seats during home football games this fall on the state approved betting sites. The same thing will happen in October when the Memphis Grizzlies kick off their 2019-20 NBA season. There might not be any physical establishments in place currently, but look for that to be a major change that is coming within the next five years.
Even though this new law will signal the beginning of a new time in the state of Tennessee, it likely won’t change a thing for the die-hard sports bettor. Many people in the state of Tennessee are still betting on sports today using an offshore sportsbook, and that might still be the best way to bet on sports in the foreseeable future. Using an offshore book will allow a person to shop around for better and cheaper lines, and they can avoid the hassle that will likely pop up as these new sportsbooks roll out.
Sports and Teams That Will Drive Betting in Tennessee
The state of Tennessee isn’t known as one of the best sporting states in America, but they do have their fair share of professional sports teams. Major League Baseball has yet to award a franchise in the state of Tennessee, but they do have the triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals in Memphis. There aren’t a ton of major cities in this state, but Memphis and Tennessee are home to professional sports teams in the NBA, NFL, and NHL. Fans in Tennessee are also very into their college athletics, and their division one athletic teams will likely help drive sports betting in Tennessee as it continues to grow.
Before we conclude this article, it would be prudent of us to link out to a couple city resources we have on our site. You can find more below:
- Nashville sports betting information
- Memphis sports betting information
There is no doubt that the most popular team in the state of Tennessee is the beloved Titans of the NFL. The Titans are located in the great city of Nashville, and have had plenty of success in recent seasons. The NFL has done a great job of getting on board with legalizing sports betting, and you can bet that they will want to use the Titans to help get it going in the state. The Nashville Predators are one of the up and coming teams in the NHL, and they have become a popular team in the city as well. Nashville is at the heart of almost everything that goes on in the state of Tennessee, and their professional sports teams are going to drive betting in this great state.
