Tennessee Sports Wagering Council hits two ‘illegal sportsbooks’ with fines

The Tennessee Sports Wagering Council (SWC) has slapped two ‘illegal sportsbooks’ with a $50,000 fine each.

The latest fines to the two sportsbooks, called BetDSI and BetNow, take the fines issued to so-called illegal entities by the SWC up to $800,000 in total.

The council says they “have now served 24 illegal entities operating in Tennessee with cease-and-desist letters and assessed $800,000 in fines…” A total of seven illegal operators have left the state, including Bovada, Sportzino, BetWhale, and Kickr.

It was in November 2024 when the council declared that Bovada would no longer be open for business in the state. The Curacao-based sportsbook is unlicensed in Tennessee, and were required to notify account holders that it is permanently closing Tennessee accounts and returning available balances.

Cracking down on illegal sportsbooks in Tennessee https://t.co/YBt73ZSsys via @YouTube #sports #sportsbetting #Tennessee #LBinTN

— Tennessee Sports Wagering Council (@tnswac) May 30, 2025

Then, just a few months ago, in September, Sportzino shut down its sports-related sweepstakes operations in the Volunteer State. This was followed by three sports gaming entities, BetWhale, Kickr and ReBet, ceasing operations after action was taken by the SWC in October.

The council says their mission is to protect the public interest of its residents through a safe and regulated sports wagering environment. They also say eradicating illegal sportsbooks and their supporting businesses from the state is a primary focus.

“December is typically a time when there is an uptick in patrons taking advantage of the responsible gaming tools legal sportsbooks are required to provide, ” executive director Mary Beth Thomas said.

“Illegal sportsbook operators have no regard for responsible gaming efforts let alone the law, and anyone sports betting with an illegal sportsbook should know that they are sharing their personal and financial information when they wager with known criminals.”

The Tennessee Sports Wagering Council has a list of licenses and vendors which are approved to do business in the area.

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