Despite the legalization of online sports betting, Tennessee has not yet legalized real money online casinos. However, players can play casino games for cash prizes at sweepstakes and social casinos, which are legally available to anyone 18 and up in the state. These options offer slots and table games, closely mirroring traditional online casinos.
In this guide, we’ll review the top sweepstakes casino options in the state, as well as their sign-up bonuses, game libraries, and the history of gambling in Tennessee. We’ll also discuss how Tennessee’s online gambling laws could change in the future.
Best Tennessee Online Casino Sites in September 2024
Despite real money online casinos not being legal in Tennessee, players can still play casino-style games for cash prizes at sweepstakes casinos. Below are the best current Tennessee signup bonuses.
Gambling is for entertainment purposes only. Stay safe and ensure success when yougamble responsibly. Gambling problem? Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER for confidential support.Visit SAMHSA’s National Helpline website for resources that include a treatment center locator, anonymous chat, and more.
How We Rank the Best Tennessee Online Casinos
Legality
First and foremost, we will recommend only legal options to our Bonus.com readers. The negatives of playing at illegal offshore casinos greatly outweigh any positives, if there are any positives at all. Legal options ensure protections and security that protect your personal and financial information, as well as offering fair games that aren’t rigged.
Security
Let’s take a closer look at the security standards that we briefly mentioned in the first point. We recommend only sites that utilize strict security measures for transferring and handling data, including personal and financial information. These may include SSL encryption and more, which happens to be the same strong encryption that online banks utilize.
Welcome Bonuses
Sign-up bonuses are often weighed as the end-all-be-all for joining an online casino. The truth is they are as important as first impressions, but players should take all of the points in this section into consideration. Nevertheless, we do look at welcome bonuses, and not only the amount of what they offer. We also dig through terms and conditions to find playthrough requirements, eligible games, time limits, and more to ensure that bonuses are fair and attainable.
Bonuses for Existing Players
Perhaps even more important than welcome bonuses is the quality of bonuses offered to existing players. These are offers that you can take advantage of well past your registration. We look at the variety, frequency, generosity, and fairness of these bonuses for existing players.
Game Selection
Online casino game collections should cater to all types of players, from beginners to high rollers, from slot players to table game aficionados. We look beyond the general categories of slots, table games, live dealer games, and so on to find variety within those categories. The variety we look for includes themes, mechanics, features, and the inclusion of bonus opportunities such as jackpots.
Reputation
There’s almost always a reason why certain casinos hold the reputations that they do. While online reviews may be skewed by players who feel like they experienced an unfair situation, taking a birds-eye-view approach to these reputations can inform our decisions when ranking the best options.
Loyalty Programs & Rewards
While not mandatory, loyalty and rewards programs add a fun and entertaining dimension to the online casino experience. We look at whether a casino offers a rewards program and what that program entails. Some common questions we look to answer include the accessibility of the program, the loyalty levels, and the rewards themselves. We also look at how much an online casino rewards players for their wagering and if the compensation seems fair.
Tennessee Online Gambling Snapshot
| Type Of Online Gambling | Legal In Tennessee? |
|---|---|
| Sweepstakes & Social Casinos | Yes - Legally available to Tennessee players via Pulsz Casino |
| Sweepstakes Poker | Yes - Legally available to Tennessee players via Global Poker |
| Online Lottery | No, not online - All lottery purchases must be made at a licensed retail outlet. |
| Online Sports Betting | Yes - Sports betting launched November 1, 2020. |
| Online Horse Race Betting | Yes - Permitted via licensed and regulated sites. |
| Daily Fantasy Sports | Yes - Play daily fantasy via apps like DraftKings DFS and FanDuel DFS. |
| US Online Casinos | No - Real-money online casinos are illegal in Tennessee. |
| Real Money Online Poker | No - Real-money online poker is illegal in Tennessee. |
Online Casino Games in Tennessee
Let’s take a closer look at what types of online casino games you can find in Tennessee.
Slots in Tennessee
Almost all types of online slots can be found at sweepstakes casinos in Tennessee. This includes everything from classic three-reel steppers to modern video slots and everything in between. You’ll find slots with unique features such as Megaways (up to 117,649 ways to win), jackpot slots, and even slots that allow you to buy into a bonus round immediately. Essentially, players will have no problem finding slots to enjoy.
Jackpot slots, one of the most popular categories of slots for the obvious reason of having large win potential, consist of both fixed jackpot and progressive jackpot varieties. While fixed jackpots have set-in-stone jackpot levels that may or may not scale with your bet size, progressive jackpot slots can offer truly massive jackpots as they grow based on wagering from all players.
Table Games in Tennessee
For table game players, sweepstakes casinos in Tennessee have no shortage of options. Keep in mind that some sweepstakes casino apps choose to focus more on slots, featuring only a few table game options (if any at all). However, others have a solid catalog available. It’s just a matter of finding one that appeals most to you. While sweepstakes casinos may not have as much variety in this category as real money online casinos, they do feature, at minimum, the base games that you can find in person. We’ve covered some of those games below.
- Free Baccarat Online
- Free Blackjack Online
- Free Craps Online
- Free Roulette Online
- Free Video Poker Online
It’s worth mentioning that sweepstakes casinos have begun to offer more live dealer games as this category continues to grow in popularity. These games allow you to bring the in-person casino experience with you, allowing players to enjoy real table games with real dealers via livestream.
More Tennessee Online Casino Games
Other games are readily available at some sweepstakes casinos, including options that are less common at land-based casinos, such as bingo, keno, and the bingo-slot fusion Slingo. These games are often under categories labeled as “Other” or “Originals.”
Players may even be able to find non-traditional casino games such as Dice, Plinko, and more.
History of Gambling in Tennessee
Online gambling in the Volunteer State has a short history that has grown busier in recent years. With no land-based gambling options, Tennessee’s story essentially begins in 2016.
Tennessee indicated that it would welcome sports betting in 2016 when it became the third state to authorize daily fantasy sports. Of course, DFS legalization isn’t always a harbinger of regulated online sports betting, but a combination of federal shifts and Tennessee laws made that the case for the Volunteer State.
In 2018, the US Supreme Court ruled theProfessional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) unconstitutional. This left the decision to legalize sports betting to individual states. Many, including Tennessee, have already acted to regulate and launch online sportsbooks.
In 2019, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee allowed the state’s sports betting bill to become law without his signature. The Tennessee Lottery oversees sports betting under the bill. The state launched online sports betting on Nov. 1, 2020.
For now, Tennessee seems laser-focused on sports betting. State lawmakers have given no indication that they intend to legalize other forms of online gambling like casinos or poker rooms. In addition to sports, Tennessee players have access to online casinos in the form of promotional sweepstakes casinos and poker sites, as discussed on this page.
Retail Casinos in Tennessee
As mentioned in the history section, Tennessee has no retail casinos. There are no retail sportsbooks or race tracks, either. The state has embraced online sports betting without any brick-and-mortar properties.
Tennessee Online Casinos – Bottom Line
All in all, Tennessee’s primary focus for online gambling is clearly sports betting. However, despite the lack of real money online casinos, players in the Volunteer State have a plethora of opportunities to play casino-style games at sweepstakes casinos. The legalization of online sports betting signifies at least some level of willingness to consider legislation for further online gambling options, although none has yet come to light.
More Information on Tennessee Gambling
Online Casinos in Neighboring States
Tennessee Online Casinos FAQ
No, and it’s impossible to break this law because there are no casinos or even race tracks in Tennessee. The state does not allow any brick-and-mortar gambling institutions.
Tennessee gambling enthusiasts must travel to nearby states like Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, Mississippi, or North Carolina to find a land-based casino.
Yes. Online sportsbooks launched on Nov. 1, 2020. The state currently offers nine different platforms, including DraftKings and BetMGM.
Tennessee is a unique state in that it allows online sports betting operators to launch in the state without being tethered to a land-based casino. Sportsbooks are online only.
The Tennessee Lottery is the formal gambling oversight organization in the state. It manages and regulates Tennessee’s online sports betting presence. If real money online casinos were to be legalized, it’s a safe assumption that the Tennessee Lottery would also manage and regulate them.
Anyone who is at least 21 years old and within state lines will be able to place a wager at an online sportsbook in Tennessee. Anyone who’s at least 18 can play Tennessee Lottery games, bet on horses online, and participate in DFS contests.
No. Tennessee gambling law is very broad and prohibits casino gaming across the board. This includes online casinos. However, you can legally play at sweepstakes casinos like Pulsz and Carnival Citi, where players can exchange won credits for cash prizes.
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