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Tennessee is a unique state when it comes to gambling. There are no land-based casinos and until recently most forms of online gambling were outlawed. People in the state can bet on horse races and will soon be able to place sports bets online. When it comes to Tennessee online horse betting, though, one of the most popular apps is not available in the state.
It is legal to bet on horse racing in Tennessee. However, folks in the state no longer have access to the highly popular TVG horse betting app. This is according to their terms and conditions, which we verified with their customer service.
Still, you can join most of the major horse racing betting sites and apps, where you can legally place bets on races within and outside of the state.
In addition to horse race betting, the lottery is also legal in Tennessee. And, the state just recently legalized online sports betting.
But no sites are yet live, leaving the racebook the only legal form of online betting.
List Of Online Horse Betting Sites In Tennessee
| Betting Site | Bonus Offers |
|---|---|
| AmWager | 10% back up to $500 on all exotic and win bets made in first 30 days |
| BetAmerica | None |
| DRF Bets | Double first deposit up to $250 |
| NYRA Bets | 100% deposit match up to $200 |
| TwinSpires | $100 bonus credited after $500 in completed wagers within 30 days |
AmWager
According to their website, “AmWager’s parent company AmWest Entertainment LLC (“AmWest”) is licensed and regulated by the Oregon Racing Commission (ORC) as a multi-jurisdictional account wagering provider.” We verified that on the ORC site as well.
The site offers a welcome bonus of 10% back up to $500 in wagers for the first 30 days. AmWager also offers a cashback program that gets you cashback rewards for every wager placed. And the cashback is deposited to your account within 24 hours.
AmWager also offers two different apps, one basic version and one advanced version, depending on the experience level of the bettor. They’re both available for iOS, Android, and desktop.
BetAmerica
BetAmerica is probably the best-known horse racing site next to TVG. But of the two, only BetAmerica accepts players in Tennessee.
This site is particularly ideal for new players, with an intuitive and approachable setup designed for all experience levels.
One of their most popular features is the ability to live stream the games. You can place a bet and watch the race unfold live, just like at an actual track. While all the other sites offer the same, BetAmerica’s robust streaming partnerships are second to none in Tennessee.
BetAmerica offers an app for iOS users, but not for Android users. However, you can bet directly on the site through your any mobile device’s web browser.
DRF Bets
Daily Racing Form (DRF) originally launched as a Chicago horse racing tabloid in 1894. Since then, it’s remained one of the most trusted resources for horse racing stats across the country. And despite its history, it is now headquartered in New York City.
However, it wasn’t until they launched DRF Bets in 2011 that they began taking online wagers on horse races. But it should be no surprise that DRF Bets also offers an extremely robust site of resources and guides to help you make the best picks.
It also offers the best welcome bonus for horse bettors in Tennessee: 100% of your first deposit up to $250.
NYRA Bets
The second best bonus among the online horse racing websites, NYRA greets new members by doubling their first deposit up to $200.
This sports betting service partners with the racetracks Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga to offer on-track betting. But you don’t need to travel from Tennessee to bet at those tracks or any other that the site covers.
NYRA Bets is accessible via a mobile app for both iOS and Android as well as directly from a web browser. You can stream the races from the mobile apps as well.
TwinSpires
TwinSpires is probably the second most well-known horse racing site available to people in Tennessee, second only to BetAmerica. It’s also a relatively early option, offering wagers online since 2007.
The TwinSpires welcome bonus doesn’t simply reward you for signing up and making a deposit. But if you’re planning on betting over $500 in the first 30 days, you’ll receive a no-strings $100 bonus, which is a no-brainer for avid bettors.
However, TwinSpires isn’t unapproachable to inexperienced bettors. The app is clean and straightforward makes it easy to start placing bets, even if you’re brand-new to horse wagering.
See our full guide to Online Horse Race Betting In The US.
What Types Of Bonuses Are Available For Online Horse Betting In Tennessee?
Every online horse race betting service offers some sort of bonus and promotion offer. Below is a list of eight common ones.
But for each one, make sure to read all terms and conditions so you know what you’re getting into. In most cases, you’ll need to bet a certain percentage of the deposit and bonus before you can withdraw.
Deposit Match Bonus
The most common welcome bonus offer in online betting is the deposit match bonus. However, you can find similar offers after initially joining.
A deposit match bonus is just what it sounds like: you make a deposit and the site matches it by a certain amount. Again, read the terms and conditions to see how you earn the deposit match before you opt-in.
Both DRF Bets and NYRA Bets offer a welcome bonus of 100% up to a fixed amount.
Cashback Bonus
At AmWager, their welcome bonus gets you 10% cashback on all losses up to $500 for the first 30 days of joining. This is a specific form of cashback that exists for a limited time.
Another form of a cashback bonus is ongoing. For example, you receive cashback at AmWager every time you place a bet. And the more you bet, the more cashback you receive.
Also, the cashback at AmWager is also credited daily, not accrued over the course of a month before being credited.
Rewards Points
Reward points are similar to cashback, but they’re a little less straightforward. For example, 10 rewards points might equal $1, whereas $10 cashback is simply that.
The horse race betting sites that offer rewards points will also run limited-time rewards points multipliers, from double to 10x or more.
Referral Program
A referral program is where you are rewarded for inviting a friend onto the horse race betting site. If you can’t find it on their site, it may be worth asking the customer service team directly if you have a friend who’s interested in betting on horses online.
Insurance
At TwinSpires, they’ll run Gait Insurance offers that give you your money back when your horse breaks stride and ultimately loses the raise. But there is a handful of different insurance bonus offers based on in-race circumstances.
See our full guide to Online Gambling In Tennessee.
Is Online Horse Race Betting Legal In Tennessee?
Yes. It is legal in Tennessee to bet on horse race betting sites. This has been the case since the day the first online horse race betting platforms launched in the state. These were TwinSpires and BetAmerica, both of which launched in 2007.
In 2019, Tennessee also legalized online sports betting.
Brief History Of Horse Racing In Tennessee
Despite having no horse tracks today, Tennessee was the hub of horse races in the 1800s. Even more so than the State of Kentucky, Tennessee was where all the biggest horse races were held, particularly in the thoroughbred category.
Tennessee’s first horse race was held in 1804 in Gallatin, a city located about 30 miles from Nashville. The state’s tracks grew in numbers to at least ten by 1839.
However, when the State of Tennessee outlawed all forms of betting in 1906—just over 100 years since the state’s first horse race—the tracks were closed down.
Today, Tennesseans will have to travel to a neighboring state to visit a horse track in person.
How Safe Is Online Horse Betting In Tennessee?
It is completely safe to deposit, bet, and withdraw at a legal American horse race betting site. If it’s mentioned in this article, it’s a secure website that protects all personal information and pays out all winnings fairly and promptly.
Where betting on the horses becomes unsafe is when you play at an offshore site. Much like illegal sportsbooks and online casinos, you run the risk of joining a spam site designed to take your money.
Before you join, check to make sure the online horse betting is licensed and regulated by a US state.
What Races Can You Bet On In Tennessee?
You can bet on all races if you’re in Tennessee.
In some jurisdictions, you can’t bet on any horse races online that are happening in-state. The most likely reason is that those tracks take bets themselves. Allowing people nearby to place bets at third-party sites would take money away from their racebook.
Tennessee doesn’t share that problem.
Important American And International Races
Tennessee shares its northern border with Kentucky’s southern border. So the most popular horse racing event for Tennesseans is also the biggest horse racing event in the country and possibly the world: the Kentucky Derby.
If you can make it to Louisville, you can bet on the Kentucky Derby in-person. “The Most Exciting Two Minutes In Sports” usually takes place on the first Saturday in May.
All online horse race betting services take Kentucky Derby Bets.
Five other major horse races in the US and abroad include:
- The Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, MD
- The Belmont Stakes in Elmont, NY
- Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France
- The Royal Ascot in Ascot, England
- Dubai World Cup in Dubai, UAE
Where Can I Watch Horse Racing In Tennessee?
You can watch horse racing in Tennessee on FOX Sports as well as through the horse race betting sites.
To watch horse racing on cable, it will need to be a major event. You can find it on FS1 or FS2 depending on what other sporting event is on. During the COVID-19 shutdowns, horse racing was a more prominent fixture on sports networks, but that’s not a trend that’s likely to remain.
The most reliable way to watch horse racing in Tennessee is through the horse betting sites and apps. In some cases, you’ll need to place a bet in order to watch. But usually, you can tune in whether you placed a wager or not.
The online racebook will need a streaming partnership with the horse track. That means you can watch some races in one area but not in another. You could bypass that by joining more than one horse betting site.
Does Tennessee Have OTB Facilities?
No, Tennessee does not have any off-track betting (OTB) facilities.
As of 1906, all forms of gambling were outlawed in the state. Since then, the rise of the internet gave way to the option to bet on horses online. As of 2021, online sportsbooks are also legal in Tennessee, however, that rollout has been slow. At the time of writing this article, no online sportsbook is live in the state.
But the whole point of an OTB facility is to place bets and watch the races live. Since Tennessee has unrestricted access to several OTB websites, there would be no reason to leave your house to begin with.
In Tennessee, you can do OTB from your mobile device too, so you could turn your car or a park or anywhere with a reliable connection into an OTB facility.
Tennessee Online Horse Race Betting FAQ
No. But you do need to be physically located in a jurisdiction where the online horse race betting platform is unrestricted. For example, if you joined any of these sites and traveled to Hawaii, you wouldn’t be able to bet on horses while you were there.
No. For some reason, TVG does not offer its services to people in Tennessee. They had in the past, but they’ve since listed Tennessee as a restricted state. We reached out to the customer service team to confirm, and it is indeed true. Perhaps this will change in the future.
Yes. BetAmerica, the biggest name in online horse race betting alongside TVG, offers its services to people located in Tennessee. We reached out to BetAmerica to make sure people located anywhere within the state are accepted, and they confirmed that they are.
Why TVG doesn’t accept Tennesseans but BetAmerica does is a mystery.
Yes. The Triple Crown races are the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. People located in Tennessee can bet on all three of them.
Make sure to check the promotion section of your preferred online horse race betting platform for special deals and bonuses specific to Triple Crown bets.
18. In some states, you need to be 21 and over to bet on the horses, but in Tennessee, you need only be a legal adult. That applies to all of the aforementioned racebook sites.
But if you’re planning on traveling to a track and you’re under the age of 21, check to make sure you can get in beforehand.
The easiest way to watch horse racing on live stream is through the betting sites or directly on the track’s website. You can also catch some of the live streams on FOX Sports, such as the Triple Crown races and other major events.
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