The Sports Wagering Advisory Council in Tennessee has selected Mary Beth Thomas for the position of executive director.
Thomas is currently serving as the General Counsel in Secretary of State Tre Hargett’s office, whose duties include the regulation of fantasy sports and charitable gaming in Tennessee.
After a law was passed earlier this year, the Advisory Council’s purpose is to oversee the regulation of sports betting from the Tennessee Lottery.
Sports betting was legalised in the state in 2019 and the first bets were allowed on 1 November 2020.
Wagering began in the state after the sportsbooks that applied for licensure were approved; currently, the only restriction regarding betting consists of players not being allowed to wager on collegiate events.
The process of creating rules and regulations to govern how sports betting would operate in Tennessee was completed in April 2020 and The Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation was selected to oversee sports betting in the state.
After having legalised sports betting, online, mobile and retail sportsbooks became available to gamblers (not just to residents) across the entire state.
According to the legislation, there is no cap on sports betting licenses, meaning anyone who wants to attempt to get a license through state regulators can apply for one.
The legal sports gambling age in Tennessee is 21-years-old, which is the most common legal age for sports betting throughout the US. Also, as is the case in other states with legalised sportsbooks, athletes, coaches and employees with professional sports teams are not allowed to wager.
