Tennessee may not be the most gambling-friendly state in the union, but luckily locals are able to enjoy all the fun of Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) drafting. If you’re curious about how DFS betting works in the state, how it was legalized and what the future may spell for DFS, we recommend you keep reading.

Todd Winkler, Editor at online-gambling.com

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Todd Winkler has been an editor at online-gambling.com for 6 years. His focus is on guides and articles about poker games, blackjack, and DFS. With relatives in New Zealand, he is also well aware of the gambling industry in the country.

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Online Daily Fantasy Sports in Tennessee – Overview

In a move that surprised many spectators, Tennessee became the third state to legalize and regulate Daily Fantasy Sports in 2016, following on from Indiana and Virginia. It caught so many people off guard because the serving Attorney General Herbert Slattery stated that DFS betting was illegal according to Tennessee’s laws. This opinion may have been what prompted lawmakers to act so hastily on the matter, as they overwhelmingly supported the passing and signing of a DFS regulation all within a month of a statement.

The bill stipulated that fantasy sports operators would need to pay $50,000 licensing fees to the state as well as a 6% tax on all revenue generated from Tennessee’s users. Regulation and oversight would be left to the Secretary of State, who would see to it which operators would be licensed as well as overseeing that operators were adhering to ethical standards.

Three years later, and Tennessee has just brought in groundbreaking online-only sports betting bill – a move that we expect must have been related to the success of DFS betting in the state. Below, we have created a list of Tennessee’s favorite fantasy sports leagues and how you can play them.

Online Daily Fantasy NFL – Play The Titans

The Tennessee Titans represent the state in the National Football League to great fanfare, making the team’s players the perfect candidates to draft in DFS. In the popular NFL Fantasy League, contestants are to draft a fantasy team within a $50,000 salary cap. Points are scored based on the real-life performance of players, for example, if your offense scores a Running Touchdown you can earn 6 points and if your Defense makes an Interception you can earn 2 points.

Online Daily Fantasy NBA –The Grizzlies Roar

Tennessee goes wild for their National Basketball Association Memphis Grizzlies – and thanks to DFS legalization, they can play their favorite Grizzlies players, too. The NBA Fantasy League asks contestants to create a lineup of 8 players. Scoring is likewise based on real-life gameplay statistics e.g. 1 point for every point scored, 2 points for a block. Because contestants must stick to salary caps every week in building their team, their chosen players’ costs change based on their playing statistics. This means that contestants will need to create the most effective team on a budget.

Online Daily Fantasy NHL – Beware The Predators

The Nashville Predators have done their state proud in the National Hockey League, having recently won their first President’s Trophy and Central Division Title. What better way could there be to celebrate their success than by drafting current players into your NHL Fantasy League lineup? Here, you can draft teams of 9 players from at least 3 different teams, where you will be awarded points for your chosen players’ goals, assists, blocked shots, etc.

Online Daily Fantasy MLB – Tennessee Up

Tennessee’s residents love to watch baseball, and by the looks of things, they love to participate in the drafting process of it too! In MLB Fantasy, players draft a team of 10 players. Points can be earned in a number of different ways, with 5 points for stealing bases, 10 points given for a home run, etc.

College Fantasy Sport – Volunteer For Victory

There are a number of university programs represented in the state of Tennessee, but the most well-known that is playing in the NCAA division hails from the University of Tennessee. Competing in the Football Bowl Subdivision, the Tennessee Volunteers have one of the most impassioned fanbases in the league, who have cheered them on through a record 464 home-game wins at its 102,000 capacity Neyland Stadium.

They have the third-highest ranking in bowl appearances, four Super Bowl wins, six national titles and sixteen conference championships. It’s for this reason that the Volunteers are one of our teams to watch while we’re making our fantasy drafts. If you’re looking to take your fantasy league betting that one step further, we recommend trying out the college fantasy league.

Timeline of Daily Fantasy Sports Legislation

Since the early twentieth century, Tennessee has long been a gambling no-go zone. This is, or at least was, a prevalent attitude amongst Southern states that has recently been challenged, and Tennessee is at the forefront of those changes. Below, we’ve created a timeline of the most important years in Tennessee’s gambling history, leading up to today. For more details, visit our dedicated Tennessee gambling page.

Legal Daily Fantasy Betting Age in Tennessee

DFS operators in Tennessee only allow contestants who are 18 years and older to compete. This is in line with the state’s age requirement for betting on the state lottery and pari-mutuel wagering. If a player is caught gambling underage, offenders can be punished with a $50 fine and between 20 and 50 hours of community service.

• DFS Betting Age
  Players must be over 18 years old to legally gamble in Tennessee.
• Alcohol Age
  The legal drinking age in North Tennessee is 21 years old.
• Weed Age
  Recreational cannabis smoking is illegal in Tennessee.

Is Daily Fantasy Betting Legal Outside of the State?

While Daily Fantasy Sports betting is legal in most states in the USA, there are nine states that have specifically blocked it due to it not fitting in with their specific gambling laws. Some of these states include Hawaii and Idaho. Some of the nine states are continuing to attempt to legalize DFS, while others like Hawaii and Arizona remain hostile to gambling of all forms and are likely to remain that way for some time. Georgia and North Carolina, neighbor states to Tennessee, are interesting in that DFS is not technically legal there, but not technically illegal either. Nevertheless, operators have been left to remain active without prosecution despite existing in a legal gray zone.

The Best Fantasy Sports App in Tennessee

For those who like to be while on the go, you’ll be happy to know that you aren’t limited to playing Fantasy Sports on your desktop computer. Most major DFS operators have created mobile apps that allow players to enjoy their weekly DFS betting with ease. Based on our experience, we recommend the DraftKings app the most for DFS betting.

Taxes on Daily Fantasy Winnings: Legal Overview

Winnings that are related to gambling are a subject of 25% taxation according to the federal laws. From there on, the state law of Tennessee lists them as income and because of this they are taxed accordingly. You also have to include them in your annual declaration. For further details, visit the Tennessee’s Department of Revenue and refer to it if any questions arise.

Upcoming Regulation Changes to Be Aware Of

It’s an exciting time to be a gambler in Tennessee! As for DFS, there isn’t much more that can be done other than the adjustment of licensing fees and taxes – but there has been no mention of that in recent years. In saying that, for DFS companies DraftKings and FanDuel, there is a lot going on.

In 2019, the state became the first in the United States to approve an online-only sports betting law. This goes against what most of the nation has been doing, with many allowing sports betting only on the grounds that activity takes place at physical kiosks or casinos. However, with no casinos active in the state, tribal or otherwise, this wouldn’t have been possible.

The law asks for a steep $750,000 licensing fee from operators as well as a 20% tax on all revenue created in the state, so Tennessee’s state looks set to be earning big dollars from the move. However, the bill hasn’t been without controversy, so who knows how future lawmakers may look to challenge the major operators in the coming years and how that could affect DFS activities.

Daily Fantasy Guides for Nearby States

• Kentucky
• Georgia
• North Carolina
• Alabama