Best Gambling Sites in Tennessee 2026

Tennessee legalized sports betting in 2019 and launched on November 1, 2020, becoming the first US state with a mobile-only market: no retail sportsbooks anywhere in the state. Oversight originally sat with the Tennessee Education Lottery before moving to a dedicated regulator.

In 2021, Tennessee created the Sports Wagering Advisory Council, which became the full-fledged Sports Wagering Council (SWAC) in 2022. Originally operators paid a 20% tax on adjusted gross income plus a controversial 10% mandatory hold. In mid-2023, Governor Bill Lee signed legislation replacing that structure with a 1.85% tax on total handle and eliminating the hold requirement, effective July 1, 2023.