On-line sports gambling is coming to Tennessee.
The Tennessee Legislature approved the measure Tuesday, sending it towards the desk of Gov. Bill Lee. Lee, who opposes the measure, has said he will let it become law with out his signature.
“The governor has said he does not believe that the expansion of gambling is best, but he recognizes that numerous in the legislature found this to be a problem they wish to discover further,” Laine Arnold, Lee’s press secretary, told The Tennessean. “He plans to let this become law with out his signature.”
The bill is distinctive in that it only allows for online sports betting, and demands bettors to be physically present in Tennessee to wager. No brick-and-mortar locations will probably be permitted to host sports betting.
Online sports gambling is anticipated to start on July 1. The measure prohibits anybody under age 21 from casting a bet, also as athletes and owners of a group involved inside a game; people who run sports betting operations; and other people with influence over a game’s outcome.
Taxes on the on-line betting is anticipated to bring in as much as $50 million per year towards the state, with revenues going towards education, nearby government and gambling addiction treatment.
Tennessee will join Nevada, Delaware, New Jersey, Mississippi, West Virginia, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island in legalizing sports wagering.
The Supreme Court struck down the federal law banning sports betting last spring, paving the way for nationwide wagering. Mississippi was among the first states to legalize sports gambling, permitting wagering on college and expert sports.