Tennessee Online Casino Real Money – Gambling Laws in the Volunteer State

Land-Based Casinos

Tennessee does not have land-based casinos. The possession and operation of gaming machines associated with casinos is considered illegal.

There are no tribal casinos either. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians purchased land in Sevierville, TN, in 2021, which is seen as a potential move to bring a tribal casino to the state, but this could be years away.

Horse & Dog Tracks

Horse race betting is currently illegal in Tennessee. The only open horse racing track is Percy Warner Park, home of the annual Iroquois Steeplechase. 

Pari-mutuel betting was legalized in 1987 and regulated by the Tennessee State Racing Commission. However, in May 1998, the state legislature filed to renew the Commission, forcing it to cease operations in June.

In 2015, the TN legislature repealed the Racing Control Act of 1987, making pari-mutuel betting illegal. Off-track betting and simulated horse racing were part of modifications to the original Racing Act, so they are also currently illegal. 

Dog racing has never been legal in the Volunteer State. The now-repealed Racing Control Act only applied to horse racing, a fact the State Attorney General confirmed in a memo in 2014.

Online Sports Betting

Online sports betting was legalized in 2019. They were the first state to legalize sports betting only for online use, leaving in-person betting illegal.

The first sportsbooks were launched in November 2020, and players can bet on all college and pro sports. However, betting on high school sports or making prop bets on individual players or teams is illegal.

There are currently 13 licensees for TN sportsbooks.

The only other exception for legalized sports betting in Tennessee is for “low-level sports entertainment pools.” In 2019, the state legislature passed a law allowing for office pools for events like the Super Bowl and March Madness

These pools must be held by individuals and not exceed $1,000. Players can only wager up to $25 into the pool.

Bingo Halls and Charitable Gambling

Tennessee has some of the most restrictive charity gambling laws in the country.

Eligible 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(19) organizations can hold a single “game of chance” fundraising event per year, and they must apply for the permit from July 1st through January 31st of the year before holding the event. 

The only types of charitable gambling allowed are bingo, raffles, reverse raffles, cake wheels, and cakewalks. 

There are also restrictions on who can purchase tickets for such events. 

Social Gaming at Home

Gaming that involves the wagering of money or anything of value is illegal. 

The only forms of social gambling that are allowed are those where players do not have to pay to participate, such as a bar poker league. It is okay if an event has an ultimate prize, such as a bingo jackpot or a winner-takes-all prize. 

However, any social game offered must not require any form of buy-in from the player, and money is not allowed to be wagered. 

Poker Rooms and Clubs

Poker for real money play is illegal. No casinos or poker rooms are operating in Tennessee.

Social poker games are also illegal if they involve the wagering of money. Free-play poker games, such as bar leagues, are legal, provided the player has no buy-in and wagers do not involve money.

Online poker is not defined in TN law, making it a grey area in legal law. This means that Tennesseans can play at out-of-state online poker rooms.

Eight-Liners

Eight-liners are explicitly illegal in Tennessee. It is unlawful to own or operate an illegal gambling machine.

The Volunteer State bans any machine that could be associated with casinos. 

Casino Cruises

Tennessee is a landlocked state and does not offer casino cruises. However, Tennesseans can travel to states like Virginia or Florida that offer cruises with casinos onboard.

Online Slots

Online poker rooms will offer a large selection of cash games and poker tournaments. Texas Hold ’em is the most popular variant, with Omaha Poker a close second.

Other forms of poker include Seven Card Stud, Five Card Draw, Lowball Poker, and Short Deck Texas Hold ’em.

Poker tournaments are the biggest draw at most poker rooms, as they have massive guaranteed prize pools. 

Online Poker

Online poker rooms will offer a large selection of cash games and poker tournaments. Texas Hold ’em is the most popular variant, with Omaha Poker a close second.

Other forms of poker include Seven Card Stud, Five Card Draw, Lowball Poker, and Short Deck Texas Hold ’em.

Poker tournaments are the biggest draw at most poker rooms, as they have massive guaranteed prize pools.

Blackjack

Almost all gambling sites offer a standard version of blackjack. Many also provide popular variants like Double Exposure Blackjack, Perfect Pairs Blackjack, Multi-hand Blackjack, and Pontoon.

Online blackjack games are a great way to learn and improve your strategy. Another prime benefit is that games are available 24/7 and offer lower stakes than you can find at brick-and-mortar casinos.

Live Dealer Games

Live dealer casinos are perfect for TN residents. These sites offer the whole casino experience on your screen. 

Most TN online casinos offer a library of live dealer games from developers like Visionary iGaming, Fresh Deck Studios, and BetGames.

You’ll find traditional games like blackjack and roulette with a human dealer with whom you can interact. Some games also let you interact with other players. 

Is Online Gambling Legal in Tennessee?

Tennessee law currently regulates two forms of online gambling: online sports betting and online fantasy sports.

Otherwise, other forms of online gambling are undefined in state laws, basically falling into a legal grey area.

TN law does not criminalize playing at casinos licensed out-of-state. For this reason, Tennesseans can gamble safely at offshore casinos, poker rooms, and ADR sites. 

Gambling Covers Any Game Associated With Casinos

Tennessee Code 39-17-501 defines gambling as risking anything of value for a profit on a game whose return has any element of chance.

This effectively eliminates skill games such as poker and certain slot-type skill games you see in some states.

Interestingly, it also mentions that “any games of chances associated with casinos.”

It is a very broad definition that has effectively made all forms of live gambling illegal.

Owning Gambling Devices and Promoting Gambling Is Illegal

According to TN code 39-17-505, it’s prohibited to own, lease, rent, or distribute gambling devices.

The only exceptions are if the devices are being used for a licensed annual charity gambling event or if the devices are antique coin machines.

Antique coin machines must be 25 years old or older and not used for gambling.

Next, Tennessee has a couple of interesting casino promotion laws. The first states that promoting a game is illegal if the promoter gets a financial benefit. 

However, it is also illegal for a participant to promote a game if they have a greater advantage over other players, such as a professional poker player.

The offense is a Class B misdemeanor, according to section 39-17-503 of the Tennessee Code.

Chain Letters, Pyramid Clubs, and Lotteries Are Illegal

Tennessee has some unique inclusions in its gambling laws.

It makes chain letters, pyramid clubs, and non-state-regulated lotteries illegal. 

For example, a chain letter that asks you to send money to five people on a list is illegal. A raffle or similar lottery-style game is unlawful. Pyramid clubs, such as multi-level marketing schemes, are also prohibited. 

The offense has four levels based on how much money the illegal activity collects.

It ranges from a Class C misdemeanor to a Class E felony if the amount collected is $10,000 or more.

Forms of Gambling Legal Under Tennessee Law

Besides lawful business transactions, TN law only defines five exemptions for its gambling laws.

Below are the forms of gambling explicitly exempted under state law:

• Annual gambling events benefit non-profit organizations
• State lottery 
• Fantasy sports contests
• Sports betting under the Tennessee Sports Gaming Act
• Low-level sports entertainment pools

Conflicting Views on Pari-mutuel Legality

You may see conflicting views on the legality of pari-mutuel and off-track betting in Tennessee.

Some websites, including legal websites, claim that off-track-betting and simulcast racing are legal in the state.

Pari-mutuel betting was legalized in 1987, and simulcast off-track betting was legalized in 1996.

However, after the state legislature failed to renew the State Racing Commission in 1998, the Commission shut down. 

In 2015, the state legislature repealed the Racing Control Act of 1987.

This removed all regulatory structures for pari-mutuel betting and off-track betting. Multiple attempts have been made to revive it, but all have failed.

Advanced Deposit Wagering (ADW) is listed as legalized in the state on some sites, but the last attempt to legislate the activity failed to advance to a Senate vote. 

There are no current laws in Tennessee regulating either activity. Any claims or legal citations in other sources likely cite the repealed Racing Control Act or are basing claims over multiple bills that failed to pass.

ADW is still a grey area. Bills to regulate the activity have failed, but it is not explicitly listed as an illegal activity. There are a couple of out-of-state ADW sites that Tennesseans can legally play at. However, these are for out-of-state races only.

Only Gamble at Licensed Casinos

Only play at casinos with a license from a primary online regulator like the Curacao Gaming Control Board or the Malta Gaming Authority.

Licensed sites adhere to industry standards, such as using certified random number generators and requiring player verification to prevent fraud.

Avoid Casino With Consistent Complaints from Tennesseans

Research any casino you’re considering playing at.

Look for reviews from other Tennesseans and pay careful attention to patterns of feedback, especially negative feedback. 

Use Secure Payment Options

The best Tennessee online casinos offer secure payment options like credit cards, e-wallets, and cryptocurrency.

Using secure payment options helps to weed out rouge casinos that may try to steal your deposits.

Review Software Providers

Not all software providers are created equal.

Look for casinos that offer top-rated providers like BetSoft, RealTime Gaming, Nucleus, and DiceLab.

Top-rated operators are typically licensed in multiple jurisdictions, adding extra protection to your gaming.

Practice Responsible Gambling

Gambling should be viewed as entertainment.

As such, you should practice responsible gambling habits like setting time and deposit limits and controlling how much you spend.

Most casinos offer tools that assist in setting limits on your play.