Tennessee Online Sports Betting

Tennessee online sports betting wasn’t legal until 2019, but it has established itself remarkably quickly. One reason for its success is the fact that this is one of the few Southern states with legal sports betting. It is also the only one in which the only form of sports betting available is online and through mobile apps.

In this guide we will tell you all you need to know about sports betting in the Volunteer State and how to make the most of it!

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Tennessee Sports Betting

You can participate in Tennessee online sports betting at four sports wagering sites. All four are fully licensed and approved. While the number of betting apps is somewhat limited, the range of sports you can bet on is not. These include nearly all the professional American sports, college sports such as football and basketball, many international sports, fantasy sports and horse racing.

Clearly, online sports betting in the state is rapidly gaining a foothold.

Where Can You Bet in Tennessee?

The gambling set-up in Tennessee is unusual. The state allows sports betting, but there are no in-state casinos or horse race tracks. With no physical land-based betting locations available, the only way to bet is through a sports gambling app.

Anyone can apply to operate a sports betting app in the state. However, in order to actually conduct business, companies need to get approval from the state lottery commission.

DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM and Action 24/7 are the only approved sports betting apps at the time of writing. The first three are some of the heavyweights in the sports betting app industry. Action 24/7 is an app based in the state itself. Look for more apps to become available in the future as additional sportsbooks attempt to get in on the action.

Tennessee Sports Betting Laws

Gambling on sports in Tennessee is legal providing you are located within the state border when you place your bet. You can bet on fantasy sports when you are 18 years or older. For regular sports betting and horse racing betting you must be at least 21.

You do not need to be a resident of the state to place a bet in Tennessee. However, if you are not physically located in the state while using an app, you can't place a wager.

Among those prohibited from wagering on sports in Tennessee are the athletes, people who run gambling operations and team owners. A charge of misdemeanour or worse awaits any prohibited person who bets on sports here.

Best Tennessee Online Sports Betting Sites

The best Tennessee sports betting sites are also the only ones currently available. Namely, DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM and Action 24/7. All are fully licensed in the state and offer bettors various incentives, including sign-up bonuses.

When considering what app to use, bettors should keep an eye on the current bonuses and rewards. These are constantly changing as the sportsbooks adapt their methods of attracting gamblers. The sign-up bonuses for fantasy sports as opposed to other types of sports are also often different.

FanDuel and DraftKings were among the first to establish themselves nationwide. Each offers a multitude of sports you can bet on as well as what kind of bets you can make. Both are well established, secure and have bettor-friendly websites that are easy to understand and navigate.

FanDuel has a particularly good reputation for its parlay bonuses. These can provide big payouts if you can successfully land a parlay two or more legs.

BetMGM Sportsbook is another giant in the industry. In addition to its quality website, BetMGM is well known for its Las Vegas casino reports and expertise. BetMGM also offers a wide variety of available sports, attractive promotions and extra features.

Action 24/7 has a good choice of various promotions such as a 100% welcome bonus to all new customers. This operator will match the first deposit with an equal amount in bonus funds for up to $100 extra after. Action 24-7 is also a bit different in that it is a Tennessee-based app and is more focused on offering bets on sports within the state.

The licensed Tennessee websites for fantasy sports include FanDuel, DraftKings, DraftDay Fantasy Draft and StarsDraft. If you want to place a bet on a horse race, options include DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Twinspires and Xpressbet.

Choosing a Tennessee Online Sports Betting Site

It's currently fairly easy to select an online sportsbook in Tennessee for the simple reason there are just four choices. They are FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM and Action 24/7.

Sports and Betting Market Selection

Bettors can wager on all major United States sports at DraftKings as well as international sports leagues and events. These include soccer, basketball, motor racing, and many others.

FanDuel has a massive selection of sports to wager on as well. You can bet on the United States professional sports leagues throughout the regular season and playoffs. The same goes for NCAA football, basketball and other college sports. In addition international leagues such as the English Premier League for soccer are on FanDuel along with minor sports such as table tennis and darts.

Bet MGM also offers a wide variety of sports in both the United States and around the world. Along with FanDuel and DraftKings, it accepts all types of straight bets such as money lines, totals, points spreads, futures, parlays and prop bets. Because of MGMs excellent reputation in the gambling industry, it has been able to partner with sports leagues. It is also considered one of the best sports betting apps in the nation.

Acton 24/7 is the only Tennessee-owned and locally based licensed sportsbook in the state. Betting options include a full range of United States pro and college sports along with international action. Based out of Nashville, Action 24/7's betting options include the standard pregame wagers and in-play betting on pro sports (in-play betting is not allowed on college sports in Tennessee).

Ease of Use

The best online sports betting apps will also have a user-friendly layout and straightforward design to make gambling easier. They should have an interface that allows bettors to wager instinctively by merely pressing your finger on the appropriate button. This is important so bettors can understand their options, especially if they are beginning players. An easy-to-operate app is even more important for in-play gambling as there can be a timing issue regarding how long you have to place your bet.

With mobile technology improving all the time, wagering from your phone is very easy. In many cases it is even easier than betting on websites.

It's generally very easy to wager on a sports betting app. Start by downloading and installing it. From there, register or log into your account. with the easy to spot buttons on the page. After making a deposit - e-wallets are among the easiest ways to provide funds - explore your betting options and make a wager. If you win, collect your earnings on the cashier page.

Promotions and Bonuses

In order to attract (or keep existing) customers and compete with their competitors, sports betting apps offer a whole range of bonuses and promotions. Among these are sign-up or welcome bonuses, which in most cases offer a percentage of the money you deposit.

There are also no deposit bonuses that allow you to place a bet without making a deposit and reloading bonuses for adding more money to your account. Other promotions include free bet bonuses and loyalty bonuses that reward you for making lots of bets. High rollers can also be rewarded for betting large amounts of money.

Banking Methods

There are multiple ways you can make deposits and withdrawals at online gambling sites that are available in Tennessee. One of the best ways is to use an electronic wallet such as PayPal. Electric wallets are easy to set up, secure and affordable.

Another way is using payment cards such as Mastercard, Visa and Discover. You can also use prepaid cards in which you load your card with funds from your bank and transfer it to your sportsbook. An additional option is online banking transfers in which bettors use their bank accounts to directly transfer money to their sportsbook accounts.
Bettors can also deposit with funds using ACH or an e-check. An e-check is simply an electronic funds transfer (EFT) that utilizes the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network.

Depositing funds is easy. Simply go on our sportsbook site and hit the deposit button. The rapidity with which money is deposited and withdrawn can vary, but it is generally fairly fast. Withdrawals can take a little longer depending on the method you use. Electronic transfers will usually occur faster than other methods such as a check or money order.

Most online sportsbooks have multiple withdrawal options. Remember that the speed in which money can be withdrawn can hinge on the fees that are charged. Bettors can collect their earnings faster if they are willing to pay a small extra fee.

Legality, Safety and Security

The four sportsbooks available in Tennessee are well-established, trustworthy and tightly regulated. For that reason, bettors can rest assured their funds are safe.

The benefits of doing business with a secure and legal sportsbook are twofold: One is you know your money is safe and you will be rewarded for successful bets. The other is the security of your own personal information. The best betting apps will have a section dedicated to protecting your security and all of the current sports apps allowed in the state have such safeguards in place.

Customer Service

As is the case with just about any business, customer service is very important when you create an account with a sportsbook. Especially for beginning gamblers, things can be confusing at times because of all the different betting options and how to understand them. Sportsbooks obviously want to help you in this area in order to have you place bets.
Why you don't want to sign up with a sportsbook with poor customer service is also equally self explanatory. No one needs the stress of wondering if they understood what kind of bet they made or what's going on with their money.

Tennessee Online Sports Betting Timeline

Following years of a staunch anti-gambling stance, things started opening up in Tennessee when online sports gambling was approved in 2019. The formal implementation was delayed because of the coronavirus. However, gamblers were able to officially make bets on the first day of November in 2020.

In 2019 Tennessee became the first state to adopt online betting only. You can not place a bet at a physical location in Tennessee because the state has no horse race tracks or casinos.

Betting on daily fantasy sports in Tennessee became legal in 2016. After horse race betting was banned at the start of the 20th century by the Racing Control Act, the law was finally repealed in 2015 and gambling on horses returned to the state.

Tennessee Online Sports Betting FAQ

Who can bet on sports in Tennessee?
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In order to bet on sports and horse racing, you must be 21. You can bet on daily fantasy sports when you turn 18. You do not have to be a resident of Tennessee to place a bet within the state.
Where can you bet on sports in Tennessee?
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Betting while using one of the approved sportsbooks is allowed anywhere within Tennessee's state border. If you are not physically located in Tennessee while placing a bet with a sportsbook, your wager will be rejected.
What sports can you bet on Tennessee?
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It can vary a bit between the four approved apps, but betting action is available in the vast majority of all United States professional sports as well as college basketball and football games. A wide range of international sports wagering options are also available. You can also bet on fantasy sports and horse racing in Tennessee.
What are the most popular sports to bet on in Tennessee?
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With an NFL team (the Tennessee Titans) as well as two college teams (Vanderbilt and the University of Tennessee) that are members of the prestigious Southeastern Conference located in the state, football is big. Ditto for basketball with an NBA team (the Memphis Grizzlies) and many competitive college programs all in Tennessee.
What Happens if you win a sports bet in Tennessee?
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Go on one of the state’s approved betting sites and follow the instructions on how to cash out or just keep your winnings in your account. To collect your winnings you will first need to meet a few banking and security requirements. Be aware sportsbook winnings in Tennessee are taxable.
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