Memphis, Tennessee is an extremely vibrant and culturally diverse city that is certainly known for other things besides sports. That doesn’t mean that sports fans should overlook the city, and Memphis will definitely be affected by the recent Tennessee sports betting news. Let’s dive in and look at how Memphis sports betting might shape up.
Memphis is a city that loves their music and their blues, but they are also a very sneaky good sports town. Professional leagues have stayed away from Beale Street and Memphis for the most part, but the Grizzlies call this wonderful city home.
Nashville is credited with being the best sports town in the state of Tennessee, but Memphis shouldn’t be very far behind them. The area around Memphis continues to grow, and the city is a popular destination for travelers.
Tennessee has been debating legalizing sports betting for the last few years, and that change is finally coming. Nothing has been able to come between Memphis and their great music, but sports betting might make a dent in that. Let’s take a look at the Memphis sports betting scene and what might happen in the near future.
Status of Memphis Sports Betting
Even though the city of Memphis hasn’t been directly pushing for sports betting to become legal, the state of Tennessee has made that decision for them. Lawmakers in Tennessee have been pushing to legalize sports betting in the state since the federal government lifted a ban on betting back in the fall of 2017.
The governor in Tennessee is not in favor of legalizing sports betting, but his legislators in the state are going to get their way. A bill was passed in April that will make sports betting legal in the state of Tennessee, and the mayor is going to let the bill become a law without signing it.
The city of Memphis might not realize it yet, but they are in for a major change when it comes to the world of sports, and they are in line to bring in a ton more revenue for their city and state.
Tennessee is one of the few states in our country that don’t currently have casinos, and don’t expect to see any new sports betting establishments in the state anytime soon. The bill that was introduced and passed is very limiting, and it will not allow sports bettors to go crazy right off the bat.
Tennessee is expected to get about $50 million annually from the new sports betting industry, and the city of Memphis and its schools will see some of that money.
All of the bets must be placed through an online website that will be tied to the state’s current lottery system. People are allowed to sign up to run their own sports betting website, but they will be given a special website to use.
This new law also prohibits anyone from taking or placing bets at a “physical” location, which really limits what can be done in the city of Memphis. Other states that are legalizing sports betting are encouraging betting at the stadiums of their professional sports teams, but that won’t be happening in Memphis.
Best Places To Bet in Memphis, TN
Since there aren’t any casinos in the state of Tennessee then there aren’t a ton of great places to place bets in the city of Memphis. Anyone who has ever been to Memphis knows that it turns into a party atmosphere almost every single night, and there are plenty of fun places for sports fans to gather.
State law prohibits anyone from taking or making bets in a physical location, but look for that to change in the very near future. The FedExForum is just one block away from legendary Beale Street, and you can bet that plenty of sports bars and establishments will be popping up real soon with this new law.
Even though this new law seems to change the Memphis sports betting landscape, nothing will really look or feel any different for the dedicated sports fan. The best way to place a bet is through an online sportsbook, and most bettors in Memphis aren’t going to change where they play.
New sportsbooks are going to be established online, but those are going to take awhile to iron out the kinks. There are still a ton of fans who are on their phones or mobile devices betting on sports while at a Grizzlies game, and that is only going to increase with this new law going into effect this summer.
Sports and Teams That Will Drive Betting in Memphis
The city of Memphis isn’t lucky enough to have a ton of professional sports teams, but they do have their beloved Grizzlies. Memphis is a town that loves their basketball, and they are beyond proud of the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies call the FedExForum home, and their stadium is located right next to world famous Beale Street. Beale Street is an absolute party atmosphere at night, and you can expect that Memphis sports betting will find a way to be a presence right along with rhythm and blues. The Memphis Grizzlies are the top team that will drive betting in the city of Memphis, but there are others that will help out in the cause as well.
The Memphis Redbirds are the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals and are very popular in the city as well. Major League Baseball has always been a part of the fabric of sports betting, and the Redbirds will help to get the trend going in the city of Memphis.
This is another team that plays their home games right next door to Beale Street, and they draw a ton of fans. Sports betting really heats up during the month of March and “March Madness,” and the Memphis Tigers are one of the most popular teams in the state of Tennessee.
The Tigers have a great following of fans, and they will help to drive Memphis sports betting when they are on the floor. The city of Memphis is known for things other than sports, but they have plenty of teams that will help drive sports betting.
