NASHVILLE—With the NFL and college football seasons underway, the Tennessee Sports Wagering Council (SWC) is reminding everyone that licensed sportsbooks in Tennessee offer players the option to set playing time limits, deposit limits, and temporary “cool off” periods during which they cannot place wagers. Additionally, licensed sportsbooks provide a more permanent solution called “self-exclusion,” allowing players to voluntarily restrict their access to one or all licensed sportsbooks for a period of one, three, or five years. During self-exclusion, individuals will not be able to log on to a licensed sportsbook to deposit funds or place wagers, nor will they receive direct advertising and marketing materials from the excluded sportsbooks.
The SWC’s primary role is to protect the public interest of Tennessee through a safe, regulated sports gambling environment. They play a part in the self-exclusion program by managing requests for statewide exclusion from all licensed sportsbooks.
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A player can visit one licensed sportsbook and request exclusion from all sportsbooks statewide; the sportsbook will then send the information to the SWC to be distributed among licensed operators. If a player prefers not to interact with a sportsbook at all, they can fill out a self-exclusion application directly on the SWC website or call the SWC at (615) 253-7922 to implement a statewide self-exclusion.
“Sports wagering is a form of entertainment that is enjoyed by many in Tennessee, but it is not for everyone,” Executive Director Mary Beth Thomas said. “Tennessee law requires its licensed sportsbooks to have mechanisms in place to block access to wagering at the request of a player. A player may choose to do this to address a problem or to prevent one from starting. The legislature recognized the need for this option when the Sports Gaming Act became law in 2019, and the SWC works with licensed sportsbooks to ensure that this option is always available to those who seek it.
“Offering players the ability to opt out from wagering is a service that licensed sportsbooks in Tennessee take seriously, and it highlights one of the many reasons that if someone chooses to place a wager, they should do so with a legal, licensed sportsbook. Illegal sportsbooks, often located overseas, do not offer self-exclusion or the ability to opt out of marketing materials; they allow minors to wager and often extend credit and engage in other predatory practices that target the most vulnerable individuals.”
For a list of sportsbooks legally licensed to do business in Tennessee, click here to see the list on the Sports Wagering Council’s website. Tennessee is the largest “online-only” sports betting market in the U.S., with sports bettors in Tennessee wagering more than $4.5 billion a year through online sportsbooks licensed by the SWC.
For those seeking telehealth services for sports betting addiction, they can visit The Gambling Clinic online or call them at (901) 678-STOP. For a nearby referral, they can call or text the TENNESSEE REDLINE at 800-889-9789.
About the Tennessee Sports Wagering Council:
The Tennessee Sports Wagering Council’s primary role is to protect the public interest of Tennessee through a safe, regulated sports gambling environment. The SWC oversees the licensing and registration process for online sports wagering operators, sports wagering vendors, and fantasy sports operators. The state agency also monitors and enforces compliance with the Tennessee Sports Gaming Act and the Tennessee Fantasy Sports Act and related rules, including the assessment of the State’s privilege tax on sportsbooks.
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