Tennessee Online Gambling
The Tennessee online gambling landscape reflects a limited, regulated approach focused primarily on sports betting and lottery sales.
State law permits online sports betting, daily fantasy sports, online lottery sales, and advance deposit wagering on horse races, but bans online casinos and poker.
Legal Tennessee Gambling Sites
21+ and present in TN. T&Cs Apply. Gambling Problem? Call TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789.
Tennessee Online Gambling Overview
| Type of Gambling (minimum age) | Legal Status | Notes |
| Online Casinos (n/a) | Illegal | Prohibited under Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-502 |
| Sweepstakes Casinos (18+) | Legal/Unregulated | Operates under US sweepstakes laws; not explicitly authorized or prohibited in TN |
| Online Poker (n/a) | Illegal | Treated the same as online casinos under Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-502 |
| Online Sports Betting (21+) | Legal/Regulated | Legal under Tennessee Sports Gaming Act (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-49-101) |
| Daily Fantasy Sports (18+) | Legal/Regulated | Legal under Fantasy Sports Act (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-49-201) |
| Fantasy Pick ’em Contests (18+) | Legal/Regulated | Player-vs-house formats prohibited; peer-to-peer variants legal |
| Online Lottery Sales (18+) | Legal/Regulated | Limited to Powerball ticket purchases via the official TN iLottery mobile app. |
| Online Horse Racing (18+) | Legal/Unregulated | State law does not address advance deposit wagering (ADWs). Major national platforms accept TN residents. |
Tennessee Online Casinos
Online casinos are illegal in Tennessee.
State law does not permit real-money online slots, table games, or any other form of casino-style gambling conducted over the internet.
The prohibition is the result of Tennessee’s broad definition of gambling, defined as “risking anything of value for a profit whose return is to any degree contingent on chance.”
Tennessee law makes it a Class C misdemeanor for a person to knowingly engage in gambling, a statute that explicitly targets individual players, not just unlicensed operators. However, enforcement has historically focused on operators rather than individual players.
Past efforts to expand gambling have failed due to constitutional requirements for voter approval on expansions. No land-based casinos exist in Tennessee, further limiting any path to legalization.
Legalization Outlook
The prospect of legalizing online casino sites in Tennessee in the near future appears poor. Historically, high-ranking lawmakers have opposed casino expansion.
For example, TN Governor Bill Lee allowed the 2019 sports betting bill to become law without his signature precisely because it was narrow in scope and did not include authorization for casinos.
Between Tennessee’s history of opposition to gambling expansion and the lack of significant legislative momentum, the odds are low that any bill authorizing online casinos will succeed in the near term.
Sweepstakes Casinos in Tennessee
Online sweepstakes casinos operate in a legal gray area in Tennessee.
They are not explicitly authorized by state law, but they are also not expressly prohibited.
Sweepstakes casinos avoid classification as illegal online gambling by implementing a “no purchase necessary” clause.
Tennessee law defines gambling by the presence of three elements: prize, chance, and consideration (risking something of value).
Sweepstakes casinos are structured to eliminate the element of consideration.
Players are never required to make a purchase to obtain the “Sweeps Coins” (or an equivalent virtual currency) needed to play for prizes redeemable for cash. Players can purchase “Gold Coins” for entertainment-only play, but they can only receive free Sweeps Coins as bonuses or via promotions.
Although general consumer protection statutes like the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TN Code Ann. § 47-18-124) govern prize promotions and require clear disclosures, they do not specifically address or ban the sweepstakes casino business model.
Key Operators
A variety of established sweepstakes casino operators are available to players in Tennessee. These sites offer a wide range of games, with a heavy focus on slots, but many also include digital table games and sometimes live dealer games.
Popular platforms include:
Considerations for Players
Players should keep in mind that sweepstakes casinos are unregulated in Tennessee. No state agency, including the Sports Wagering Council or the Tennessee Education Lottery, provides oversight for these platforms.
As a result, there are no state-mandated requirements for game fairness testing, payout processing, or dispute resolution. Players must rely on the internal policies and public reputation of each operator.
Although Tennessee has not taken any enforcement action against these sites, regulators in other states have challenged the sweepstakes model. Similar actions could occur in Tennessee if state lawmakers or the Attorney General decide to adopt a stricter interpretation of existing gambling laws.
Tennessee Online Poker
Real money online poker is illegal in Tennessee.
Tennessee’s broad gambling laws prohibit risking anything of value on games in which the outcome is “to any degree contingent on chance.”
Although experienced poker players understand that skill alone determines their results over the long term, the element of chance inherent in the deal of the cards is sufficient for it to fall under the state’s wide-ranging definition of “gambling.”
Consequently, playing poker for real money online or in person is considered a Class C misdemeanor under Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-502. That said, authorities typically target operators rather than individual online poker players.
Legalization Outlook
The outlook for Tennessee legalizing online poker remains poor over the short to medium term. Lawmakers have not pursued poker-specific legislation and have indicated no desire to do so.
The likeliest path for legalizing online poker in Tennessee is as a part of a wider bill authorizing online gambling, but that also remains a long shot for the foreseeable future.
Until state law changes, sweepstakes poker sites will remain the next-closest alternative in Tennessee.
Tennessee Online Sports Betting
Online sports betting is legal and regulated in Tennessee.
After the Supreme Court overturned the federal sports betting ban in May 2018, Tennessee did not seem like a likely contender to become one of the early adopters of legal online sports betting, considering the state’s strong anti-gambling streak.
A total lack of casinos, race tracks, and not even a state lottery until 2003 all seemed to indicate little desire among lawmakers to expand the state’s gambling options.
That changed in 2019 when the legislature approved a bill allowing online sports betting in Tennessee. Under the law, any number of qualified operators may apply for online sportsbook licenses. The first Tennessee online sportsbooks opened for business on November 1st, 2020.
That made Tennessee the first state to legalize online sports betting without any brick-and-mortar component whatsoever. Although Tennessee lacks actual casinos, mobile-only was not necessarily the only way forward.
Lawmakers considered in-person betting kiosks at one point but ended up stripping that language from the bill during negotiations.
How Tennessee Sports Betting Works
- Minimum sports betting age: 21
- Where to bet: Popular TN online sportsbooks include Bet365, BetMGM, FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars Sportsbook, and Fanatics Sportsbook.
- Approved sports leagues for wagering: Professional and college sports, esports, and Olympic Games
- College betting rules: Wagers on in-state games allowed; no prop bets on individual players; no in-game props on teams
- Credit cards: Licensed Tennessee sports betting apps may not accept credit card deposits
- Licenses and Taxes: 1.85% on handle (total wagers collected); was 20% on revenue but changed in 2023 via SB 0475
Currently, there are no plans to authorize retail sportsbooks in Tennessee.
Tennessee Daily Fantasy Sports
Daily fantasy sports are legal and regulated in Tennessee.
Tennessee officially legalized and regulated DFS contests in 2016 under the Fantasy Sports Act.
The Act legalized daily fantasy sports by defining it as a game of skill and established a regulatory framework to promote consumer protection, integrity, and responsible play.
The Act initially assigned regulatory duties to the Tennessee Secretary of State, but a gambling reform bill passed in 2023 consolidated DFS and sports betting regulation under the Sports Wagering Council (SWC).
All daily fantasy sports operators must apply for licenses from SWC and undergo extensive background checks before offering contests to the public. Additionally, all Tennessee DFS apps must adhere to consumer protection regulations designed to protect players’ funds, safeguard their personal information, and ensure fair competition.
Some of the key regulations governing DFS apps in Tennessee include:
- Minimum Age: Players must be 18+ to participate in paid DFS contests.
- Consumer Protection: Licensed operators must segregate player funds from operational funds, adhere to truthful advertising standards, prevent employees from participating in contests, and provide responsible gaming tools like self-exclusion.
- Monthly Deposit Limit: Tennessee DFS apps must establish a default maximum monthly deposit limit of $2500; customers may request increased limits
- Tax Rate: Operators pay a 6% tax on revenue
Fantasy Pick ’em Contests in Tennessee
Fantasy pick ’em contests are legal in Tennessee.
The Sports Wagering Council (SWC) regulates daily fantasy sports in Tennessee and has drawn a clear line between what it considers a legal skill-based game under state law and what it classifies as sports wagering.
More specifically, the SWC does not issue licenses to operators that offer player-vs-house fantasy pick ’em contests in which players select athletes and make “more” or “less” predictions on individual statistical projections like yards gained, free throws made, etc.
However, the SWC does issue licenses to operators that have developed peer-to-peer fantasy pick ’em contests. In the peer-to-peer format, players still make statistical projections, but they compete against other users in a pool for a share of a prize fund rather than against the operator.
Operators like PrizePicks and ParlayPlay have developed player-vs-player variants to comply with this rule in Tennessee and other states with similar laws.
The most reputable fantasy pick ’em apps licensed in Tennessee include:
Tennessee Online Lottery Sales
Online lottery sales are legal but limited in Tennessee.
The Tennessee Lottery introduced online ticket sales in January 2025 through the official TN iLottery app. Currently, the Tennessee Online Lottery app offers Powerball tickets exclusively, but officials plan to expand its offerings over time.
Players must be 18+ and physically located within state lines to buy Tennessee Lottery tickets online.
Note: Tennessee maintains two distinct lottery apps in the App Store and Google Play Store:
- The “TN Official iLottery App” offers legal online ticket sales.
- The “Tennessee Lottery Official App” is for checking jackpots, scanning tickets, managing VIP rewards, etc.
Online Horse Racing Betting in Tennessee
Advance deposit wagering (online horse racing betting) is legal but unregulated in Tennessee.
Tennessee law does not explicitly address advance deposit wagering, meaning it neither authorizes the activity nor prohibits it. Nonetheless, several major advance deposit wagering apps (ADWs), which are licensed and regulated in other states, serve Tennessee residents.
The current legal situation is a product of Tennessee’s history with pari-mutuel wagering. After banning horse racing in 1905, Tennessee briefly re-legalized it with the Racing Control Act of 1987.
However, no race tracks were ever constructed, and lawmakers formally repealed the law in 2015. Today, Tennessee does not regulate horse racing wagering in any capacity.
Because Tennessee does not regulate online horse racing wagering, fans should choose reputable operators licensed in other states. Two well-known and established online racebooks available in Tennessee include:
Tennessee Gambling Regulators
Two state agencies regulate legal online gambling in Tennessee:
- Sports Wagering Council (SWC): The SWC regulates online sports betting and daily fantasy sports. Its duties include issuing licenses, monitoring operators for compliance, and promoting responsible gambling. The SWC also manages Tennessee’s statewide responsible gambling self-exclusion program.
- Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation (TELC): The TELC manages all aspects of lottery game operations, retailer licensing, and prize payments. It also oversees the limited online lottery sales conducted through the TN iLottery app.
Responsible Gambling Resources in Tennessee
Tennessee provides numerous resources for players seeking information, support, or treatment for problem gambling.
State law also requires licensed operators to offer responsible gambling tools, such as deposit limits, time limits, and self-exclusion options, directly within their applications.
Tennessee Self-Exclusion Resources
- SWC Statewide Self-Exclusion Program: The SWC maintains a statewide voluntary self-exclusion for all licensed online sportsbooks. Players can self-exclude for periods of one, three, or five years.
- Daily Fantasy Self-Exclusion: The SWC does not manage a central self-exclusion registry for daily fantasy sports, so players must contact each DFS operator individually to self-exclude.
- In-App Self-Exclusion: Players can also self-exclude or set temporary “cool-off” periods directly through the responsible gaming section of each licensed mobile app.
- TN iLottery Self-Exclusion: The TN iLottery app offers responsible gambling tools, including self-exclusion.
Tennessee Responsible Gambling Organizations
- TN REDLINE: The official problem gambling helpline for the state of Tennessee, available 24/7. Call or text: 1-800-889-9789.
- The Gambling Clinic: The Gambling Clinic offers evidence-based therapy for gambling disorders in affiliation with the University of Memphis and with support from the TN Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Its services, including telehealth therapy, are available to all Tennessee residents. Call: 833.TGC.TN00 (833-842-8600).
- National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) Helpline: The NCPG maintains a 24/7 confidential helpline for crisis support and referrals to local treatment options. Call: 1-800-GAMBLER. Text: 800GAM.
- Gamblers Anonymous: A peer-support fellowship for individuals recovering from a gambling problem. GA holds meetings across Tennessee.
- Gam-Anon: A companion organization to Gamblers Anonymous that provides support for the friends and family members of individuals affected by problem gambling.