Tennessee’s sports betting bill can be viewed as either restrictive and open, depending on your perspective. What Exactly Did The Tennessee Sports Gaming Act Authorize? Current Tennessee law still bans retail casinos, so there aren’t any brick-and-mortar establishments in the state with which digital operators can make partnerships. What’s unique about the Act is that it only allows online or mobile sports betting in Tennessee. However, COVID-19, among other things, has slowed the official launch of sports betting apps within the state. The Tennessee Sports Gaming Act, as the bill is named, took effect on July 1, 2019. The bill, which did not receive the governor’s signature, ultimately passed in both of the Assembly’s chambers by an ultra-thin margin of just two votes. Bill Lee and the Tennessee General Assembly, the Volunteer State has officially made sports betting legal.