Image Credit: Canva
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
In a continuing quest to bring greater enforcement on illegal sports betting operations, the Tennessee Sports Wagering Council (SWC) announced three more unauthorized entities have ceased operations in the state as the SWC works to safeguard consumers.
The Tennessee Sports Gaming Act outlines the requirements for licensed sportsbooks and protections for the bettors.
These regulations include maintaining reserves to cover all wagers, protecting the personal and financial details of their customers, and prohibiting credit card wagers and under-21 betting. But not all operations adhere to these policies, causing them to run afoul of the SWC.
In late October, the SWC announced three illegal sports gaming entities “stopped accepting customers in Tennessee after action taken by the Tennessee Sports Wagering Council.”
The council issued cease and desist letters to BetWhale.ag, an illegal offshore sportsbook which also received a $50,000 fine, Kickr, a social gaming platform offering “sports picks”, and ReBet, which offered social sportsbook sweepstakes.
According to the SWC, Tennessee is the largest “online only” sports betting market in the U.S., with approximately $5.6 billion wagered last year with SWC approved online sportsbooks.
The Tennessee Education Lottery, the state’s regulator at the time, launched four digital sports betting operators in 2020 and was the first in the U.S. to legalize and go live with only digital betting platforms. Tennessee remains the only U.S. state to tax operators on handle versus revenue.
These three entities are the latest to be shut down in the SWC’s ongoing effort to enforce state regulations. In September of this year, the SWC announced an entity named Sportzino had shut down its sports-related sweepstakes operations in Tennessee, which followed a shutdown of two other operators in April and November of 2024.
As of September 18, 2025, the SWC has issued $600,000 in fines to 12 illegal sportsbooks, $200,000 of that in July of 2025 alone. Currently the SWC is comprised of a 20-person team under Executive Director Mary Beth Thomas, who was appointed to that role in 2021.
“Offering sports wagering in Tennessee is a taxable privilege, and we’re exploring every tool available to us as regulators in our efforts to shut down illegal sportsbooks. Licensed sportsbooks offer critical consumer protections that unlicensed operators do not, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners in this effort,” Thomas said.
She estimates unlicensed sportsbooks account for 30% of the missing tax revenue owed to the state.
Thomas has also reiterated that just because an entity may have access to a website or app does not mean the sportsbook is licensed to operate in the state, and that majority of these illegal entities are located overseas, outside the jurisdictional reach of the SWC, or operate under several different names.
The director also believes many players don’t know they are wagering on unlicensed sportsbooks, as many of these companies use deceptive tactics to make their sites seem legitimate like social media campaigns, mailings, or celebrity sponsorships.
Per the SWC, their primary role is “to protect the public interest of Tennessee through a safe, regulated sports gambling environment” and “oversees the licensing and registration process for online sports wagering operators, sports wagering vendors, and fantasy sports operation.” The council also enforces compliance with the Tennessee Sports Gaming Act and other related laws, including the assessment of the State’s privilege tax on sportsbooks.
A complete list of all 12 approved Sports Wagering Operators can be found here.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
