Tennessee
Gambling Laws 2026

Sports betting is legal in Tennessee, one of 36 states where it is, as of May 2026. There are no casinos, and online casino gambling is illegal. Tennessee has a state lottery.

Tennessee is genuinely unusual: sports betting is fully legal and mobile, but the state has no casinos of any kind. The Tennessee Sports Wagering Advisory Council licenses online-only sportsbooks, and the market launched in November 2020. DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and others all hold licenses. There are no retail sportsbooks tied to physical locations because there are no casinos. The entire sports betting market exists solely through mobile apps.

The lottery has operated since 2004 and funds the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship program, including the HOPE scholarship. Horse racing ended in the state decades ago and there are no active racetracks.

For residents, Tennessee occupies a specific niche. If you want to bet on the Titans or the Vols, you download an app and bet. It works completely. But if you want to sit at a blackjack table, play slot machines, or visit a poker room, there is nowhere in Tennessee to do it legally. The closest casinos are Harrah's Cherokee in western North Carolina or commercial casinos in Mississippi. Tennessee legalized the gambling product that generates mobile revenue while maintaining a complete absence of physical casino facilities.

No casinos but sports betting legal since 2020 (mobile only). Lottery funds education (HOPE scholarships).

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More on Tennessee

Also on Tennessee: the full Tennessee profile covers taxes, cost of living, crime and schools, and the county map lets you compare every county in the state. For related rules, read the Tennessee sex laws guide and the Tennessee country music guide.