Sports Betting Bill In Tennessee Gets Amended Further

• • Online wagering is the only option for licensed sportsbooks in Tennessee.
  • Three more amendments were made to Tennessee’s sports betting bill.
  • Only a few days remain in Tennessee’s legislative session.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Being in the State Committee for just over a month, Tennessee HB1 was recommended for passage on Tuesday and has been referred to the Government Operations Committee.

With a few amendments made to the original bill, the committee members approved the measured by a vote of 12-5, with one member abstaining from the vote.

The bill must next be approved by the Gov’t Operations Committee, where it will then be placed on the House floor for a vote. After approval, it would need to work through the Senate chambers and be signed into law by Governor Bill Lee.

But Lee’s stance of Tennessee entering the sports betting market isn’t of the most popular opinion.

“If we can’t get it to a point where we think it’s acceptable, then I won’t sign it. But this bill is moving and we’ll see where it ends up,” said Lee.

The committee has already amended the bill to only allow for mobile wagering and has even considered banning betting options on certain holidays. But representatives are hoping that this set of changes will help Lee change his mind.

The Tennessee Sports Betting Bill Amendments

Proposed by Representative Rush Bricken (R- Tullahoma), the committee approved the addition of 5% of the tax contribution being levied to the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse. This would assist those in need with gambling addiction, a measure that has been frequently discussed throughout every state’s legalization process.

Proposed by Representative Bob Ramsey (R- Maryville) on behalf of Vanderbilt University and the University of Tennessee, the prohibition of certain players was created. The committee approved the idea that no person who has influence over the game’s outcome or who has access to insider information shall be eligible to wager. This includes athletes, coaches, administrators, and others, while the penalty is set at being a misdemeanor.

With the collegiate oversight also came the removal of certain betting options. No longer will gamblers be able to wager on player prop bets that are designed around college players. Though sportsbooks rarely offer this style on the college level and usually set lower limits, the mindset to remove it entirely was based around gaining approval from Governor Lee.

As the brick-and-mortar gambling option had already been removed, the legislators felt that they should open up the licensure to any county that approved sports betting through a voter referendum. Now, there is no longer a cap set by the legislators on how many licenses may be issued, which could create for a lottery-retailer style sports betting effort.

Tennessee Sports Betting Moving Forward

Without any casinos in Tennessee, the lottery would be in charge of regulating the industry.

If legal sports betting efforts were to come into play, millions of dollars could be generated from the 10% tax issued on the operators’ adjusted gross revenue. No longer would residents be required to venture into Mississippi or, in a few weeks, take the trip to Arkansas to lay down a wager.

Still looking to expand the gambling industry further, House Minority Leader Karen Camper (D- Memphis) knows Tennessee’s expansion into the market will greatly benefit the state.

She went on to say that when those opposed note the revenue coming in, that “it may be another opportunity for compromise.”

Tennessee’s legislature adjourns at the end of the month but it will be interesting to see if they call for a special session afterward to conclude the Tennessee sports betting discussion.

News tags: Tennessee | Tennessee sports betting | TN HB 1