Is Online Gambling Legal in Tennessee?

What Gambling Is Legal in Tennessee

Sports betting and fantasy contests are legal, while online casinos and online poker are illegal in Tennessee.

Sports Betting in Tennessee

Sports betting is legal, but only online, and the Tennessee Sports Gaming Act passed in April 2019. Governor Bill Lee let it become law without his signature, saying he was philosophically opposed to gambling. Betting went live on November 1, 2020, and Tennessee became the first state to run a market with no retail sportsbooks at all.

You have to be 21 and physically inside Tennessee to place a bet. College betting is allowed, including in-state schools. Yet, prop bets on individual college athletes are not.

Fantasy Contests in Tennessee

Fantasy sports were legal long before sports betting. Governor Bill Haslam signed the Fantasy Sports Act in April 2016. What’s more, oversight moved to the Sports Wagering Council in July 2023 under Public Chapter 143.

Operators need a license, and players must be 18. Pick'em contests have to be peer-to-peer, not played against the house, and that's the detail most sites miss.

Tennessee Online Casinos

The 2019 law authorized mobile sports betting and nothing else. Slots and table games have no statutory authorization here, and the Sports Wagering Council doesn't license online casinos.

Sweepstakes casinos are banned too, since Governor Lee signed SB 2136 on May 22, 2026. The big sweepstakes brands had mostly left already, so the law made the exit official.

Online Poker in Tennessee

Is online poker legal in Tennessee? No. It was never authorized separately from online casino games, so the answer is the same. 

Poker sites that take Tennessee players are offshore and unlicensed.

Gambling Age in Tennessee

Gambling age in Tennessee depends on the product. You must be 21 to bet on sports. 

Still, you must be 18 for licensed fantasy contests and for the Tennessee Education Lottery. There's no minimum age for casinos, because there are no casinos. Since the Tennessee gambling age differs by product, check the rules before you play.

Who Regulates Gambling in Tennessee

The Sports Wagering Council

One agency here handles both legal online products. The Tennessee Sports Wagering Council licenses sportsbooks and, since July 2023, fantasy operators. It took over from the Tennessee Education Lottery, and it publishes a licensee list so you can check any site yourself.

Two other bodies matter here. The Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation runs the lottery. The Attorney General enforces the sweepstakes ban under the Consumer Protection Act.

The Council's Enforcement Record

On January 9, 2026, the regulator sent cease-and-desist letters to Kalshi, Polymarket, and Crypto.com. The letters say sports event contracts need a Tennessee license. 

The Council was still at it in August 2026, when it sent cease-and-desist letters to three more offshore sportsbooks (Heritage Sports, Thunderpick and Voltage Bet). It also warns that betting with an unlicensed offshore site is a crime, and that no regulator can help you recover your money.

Is Kalshi Legal in Tennessee?

So, is Kalshi legal in Tennessee? It looks like the state isn't on board with sports contracts right now. However, in February 2026, a federal judge sided with Kalshi.

Then the Sixth Circuit vacated that order on September 25, 2026. It sent the case back to the lower court. Kalshi disagrees, and the split between appeals courts makes Supreme Court review more likely.

Where to Get Help in Tennessee

Call or text the Tennessee REDLINE at 1-800-889-9789. It's free, confidential, and open around the clock. The national responsible gambling helpline, 1-800-MY-RESET, works too.

Where to Bet in Tennessee

Sportsbooks in Tennessee

Four apps went live on launch day: DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and Action 24/7. Action 24/7, the only locally owned book, shut down in January 2026. So, that leaves ten licensed online sportsbooks. The number can shift, so always check the Council's own licensee list.

Because Tennessee has no casinos, sportsbooks don't need a land-based partner to get licensed. That's a big reason the market looks different from its neighbors.

Is FanDuel legal in Tennessee? Yes. And DraftKings? Also yes, for both sports betting and fantasy contests. Both hold Council licenses, like every legal operator here.

DFS in Tennessee

Keep in mind that any operator with paid fantasy contests needs a Council license first. Is PrizePicks legal in Tennessee? Yes. 

What about Underdog? Yes, too, because both hold licenses. Each has to run peer-to-peer pick'em contests, so you'll see pool-style formats instead of playing against the house.

What Is Not Available Here

Tennessee has no casinos, tribal gaming, or retail sportsbooks. There are no racetracks, off-track betting sites, or simulcast wagering either.

No licensed online casino or online poker exists. If you ever want a break from betting, the Council runs a self-exclusion program that covers every licensed sportsbook.

Tax on Gambling Winnings in Tennessee

No State Tax on Winnings

Tennessee levies no state personal income tax. That means gambling and fantasy winnings aren't subject to state tax. 

The old Hall tax on interest and dividends was fully repealed for tax years starting in 2021, so nothing remains.

What Still Applies Federally

Federal tax still applies, and operators issue a W-2G once winnings pass the federal reporting thresholds. There's a new twist for 2026, too. If you itemize, you can deduct only 90% of your gambling losses, and never more than your winnings.

Don't confuse any of this with the 1.85% tax Tennessee charges. That hits sportsbooks on the handle, not you. It replaced a 20% revenue tax in July 2023, and Tennessee was the first state to tax handle instead of revenue.

General information only; not tax advice.

Pending Tennessee Gambling Legislation

What Passed in 2026

No online casino bill advanced in 2026. SB 2136 bans dual-currency sweepstakes games. Both chambers passed it in April, and Lee signed it on May 22.

Running or promoting one is now an unfair or deceptive trade practice under the Consumer Protection Act. That gives the Attorney General civil enforcement powers. Licensed sports betting, fantasy contests, the lottery, and nonprofit gaming are carved out.

SB 1992 went a different direction. It makes intentionally influencing an event's outcome while holding a prediction market contract on it a Class E felony. That carries one to six years in prison.

No iGaming Bill

Nobody is pushing for online casinos here. The legislature spent 2026 banning sweepstakes casinos instead. 

Tennessee has no commercial casino industry to lobby for one, and back in 2019 Lee warned he'd veto broader gambling expansion.

What Would Have to Change

Tennessee lawmakers would have to write an online casino law from scratch, because the 2019 act covers mobile sports betting only. 

Still, nothing suggests that will happen soon.