Nashville, Tennessee is the country music capital of the world, but they are quickly growing into one of the best sports cities in the Midwest. Folks flock to Nashville for the music and bar scene, but there are a few good reasons to visit Nashville for sporting events as well. In this article, we take a deeper look at Nashville sports betting and how it might be shaping up.
The 2019 NFL Draft chose Nashville as the host city, and the event set a new record for fans and was an absolute party all weekend long. There is no doubt that Nashville is the most important city in the state of Tennessee, and the city helps to make the important decisions for the state.
The biggest discussion of late in the state of Tennessee has been around the idea of legalizing sports betting. Tennessee doesn’t have a huge gambling scene currently, but that could all change beginning on July 1.
Nashville is already turning into a great sports city with blossoming professional sports teams, and sports betting is going to speed up the process. Country music won’t be the only entertainment in Nashville anymore. Let’s take a look at the current Nashville sports betting scene, and what it might look like in the future.
Status of Nashville Sports Betting
Even though Nashville seems to have their own rules when it comes to drinking and country music; they didn’t have control over legalizing sports betting. Fortunately, the Tennessee sports betting was legalized as the bill was passed and will come into effect on July 1.
Small towns throughout the state likely won’t even notice that the bill has gone into effect, but that won’t be the case in one of the most famous cities in the country.
The state of Tennessee made headlines when they passed a bill legalizing sports betting, but the bill had several regulations that should keep things from taking off too quickly. One of the most important parts of this new law limits sports betting to online outlets, and prohibits sports betting to be done at any “physical location.”
There aren’t currently any casinos in operation in the state of Tennessee, and lawmakers didn’t want new locations popping up that are able to take bets. This new law also makes it illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to place bets on sports, and there are a handful of other groups of people that cannot join in on the new industry.
Nashville, along with Memphis, are two of the biggest cities in the state of Tennessee and will likely benefit the most from this new law. We discuss Memphis sports betting a bit more here.
Betting on sports won’t look that much different to those that currently place bets, but people will now have the opportunity to operate their own sportsbook online as long as they register it with the state.
Lawmakers believe that the state of Tennessee will see about $50 million in revenue from this new industry, and that money will be used for education and local governments. You can expect that the city of Nashville will get a large chunk of that money. This new law won’t have a huge impact on the culture of the city of Nashville, but it’s going to lead to bigger and better things.
Best Places To Bet in Nashville
Usually bigger cities offer up more opportunities for sports betting, but that isn’t the case in the city of Nashville. Because the state of Tennessee doesn’t allow anyone to operate a casino or and brick and mortar type of sports betting shop then betting online is the best option for sports fans.
There are certainly people who are already betting on sports in the city of Nashville using offshore sportsbooks, and that likely won’t change with the new law coming into place on July 1. Nissan Stadium and Bridgestone Arena are probably full of people placing bets on their favorite teams on game days, and that number will only increase in the near future.
The other thing that is probably going to happen in the state of Tennessee in the near future is the allowance of physical sports betting locations. Lawmakers are going to see the earning potential as sports betting heats up across the state, and you will be able to place bets in and around Nashville before too long.
Broadway Street is one of the most famous streets in the country, and you can expect to see some sports bars popping up if this ever becomes legal. Other states who have legalized sports betting have put up kiosks in their arenas to allow bets to be placed, and the same thing will likely happen in the city of Nashville. Placing bets online is the most popular option for sports fans in Nashville, but there should be more opportunities in the near future.
Sports and Teams That Will Drive Betting in Nashville, TN
Now that sports betting is now legal in the state of Tennessee, it will be up to the professional sports teams in Nashville to help drive betting within the city. Professional sports are a relatively new thing to this city as well, but the city has fallen in love with their two professional teams.
Usually the NFL team in town is the most popular team in that city, but that doesn’t feel like the case in Nashville. The Predators of the NHL have taken over the city, and are a huge part of the fabric of the city. Bridgestone Arena is absolutely rocking when the Predators take the ice, and they have enough power and popularity to get the Nashville sports betting scene going.
You can expect to see and hear about plenty of bets surrounding the Predators when the new season kicks off in October.
The Tennessee Titans have been a solid team in the NFL in the last few seasons, and they have the backing of the most powerful sports league in America behind them. The National Football League has jumped on board with sports betting, and their teams will help drive it in whatever city they are located in.
Nissan Stadium is located right downtown, and there is no doubt that Nashville sports betting will be taking place in and around the stadium every Sunday when the Titans play at home. The Titans and Predators are extremely popular and they will help drive Nashville sports betting when it becomes legal on July 1.
