Tennessee Online Casinos

Tennessee Online Casinos

Online gambling regulations in Tennessee

At this point, Tennessee has more legal betting options on the internet than in the real world. The thing is, these legal options aren’t legal because the state government said so, but because its laws don’t apply to offshore-hosted venues.

There are no state or federal laws that prohibit participating in online gambling at these types of legally regulated gambling sites, and that allows residents of the Volunteer State to enjoy only betting as much as the next American.

However, any hopes for enjoying intrastate licensed casino websites are slim to none. Tennessee still holds on to the outdated state code which claims that ‘gambling is contrary to the public policy of this state’ and remains reluctant to embrace any other form of gambling that’s not lottery and charity raffles.

One of the people responsible for the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 is a Tennessee man, Senator Bill Frist. Opening up towards internet casinos is the stuff of dreams in today’s Tennessee, and will probably stay like that in the foreseeable future.

Tennessee players have no regulated forms of gambling. Of course, we’re not counting the state lottery.

Despite the fact that most US citizens are used to the concept of playing the lottery, Tennessee had problems with even creating a state lottery, to begin with. A referendum was needed to pass a revolutionary bill in 2002, and it took almost two years for ticket sales to officially begin. The lottery example is just a microcosm of the unfriendly climate towards gambling in the state of Tennessee.

What’s even more perplexing is that 16 years of running a state lottery resulted in over $15 billion in overall revenue for the state. All of that money was funneled into the education system, which saw a drastic improvement in quality. Why don’t Tennessee lawmakers agree on a slow rollout, just to see all the financial benefits for the entire state

Brick and mortar casinos were barely even considered in the past 20, with one or two bills dying in committee. However, there is also a strange twist. Not only is sports betting legal, but it’s also only legal in online form. Due to the lack of land-based venues, players from TN have been enjoying sportsbook apps since 2019.

Despite the paradoxical design of the Tennessean gambling industry, you can still play at online casinos without the fear of being snatched by the long arm of the law. Even though the wide-ranging and extremely convoluted language of State Law does mention ‘all games of chance not authorized by the State” as forms of illegal gambling, offshore casinos aren’t affected by this.

Although the moniker ‘offshore’ has somewhat of a negative connotation to it, mainly due to frauds involving offshore banks, it just means ‘from another country’. That’s right, you can play at any online casino that’s based and licensed somewhere abroad. As long as it allows Tennessee citizens to play their games, you’re good to go.

Just make sure the licensor is a regulatory body that’s approved by the country it’s based in. Also, licenses from countries such as Malta, the UK, and Italy are a big plus. There’s no telling when we’ll see legal casino sites based in TN, so enjoy this legal loophole and play responsibly.

Tennessee gambling history

Tennessee was one of the US states that started out with a strict anti-gambling attitude and, frankly, little has changed since. The Volunteer State remains as conservative as it was a century ago when it banned even the most mundane forms of gambling. This happened in 1906. It wasn’t until 2003 that the state legislature changed and the state lottery was formed. Tennessee voters approved the state-wide lottery and the games were introduced into play in 2004, making Tennessee the 48th state to legalize any form of gambling within its borders.

At some point, there were bingo operations in Tennessee, but law enforcement took offense that a game meant for charities was converted into an illegal gambling business, so The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled bingo illegal in 1989. There are also reports on a flourishing horse racing scene in the late 1800s, but the blanket ban in 1906 put an end to it. The Tennessee Liquor Control board started licensing certain venues that provide horse race betting, but the industry has been in decline for decades.

Modern times in Tennessee are not relaxed towards gambling: the state offers a state-wide lottery, a handful of regional lotteries, a few horse racetracks, and extremely-limited charitable gambling options. There isn’t a single casino facility in the Volunteer State, and Tennessee residents frequently travel to the nearest casino town in nearby states to satisfy their gambling needs.

Land based casinos in Tennessee

The situation with land-based casinos in the State of Tennessee is quite sad, as there are no brick and mortar venues within its borders. Not a single casino has been opened, which coincides with the state’s restrictive legislation. To make matters worse, there are no Native American Tribes registered in Tennessee. They could take advantage of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IRGA) and set up casinos on reservation land, if Tennessee had any.

Folks in Tennessee who are eager to feel the casino floor atmosphere usually travel to such places as Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort (about 250 miles east of Nashville, in North Carolina) or to casinos in Tunica, Mississippi. By car, people can reach Tunica in less than an hour from Memphis and visit both small OTB racinos to full-scale casino resort properties.

In the meantime, the success of lottery gambling in the state continues. The revenues from lottery gambling have funded a number of college scholarships and boosted the education in the state. No wonder, as Tennessee has more than 3,500 retail outlets which sell draws and scratch-off cards.

Neighbouring States: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Virginia

Top Tennessee Casino Slots and Games

References

[1] Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation

[2] Online gambling - are players at risk of prosecution?

[3] American Gaming Association - https://www.americangaming.org