More than 30 candidates are hoping to succeed Republican incumbent Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, who will be leaving due to term limits. If history is a guide, a Democrat is likely to be elected. At a recent debate,
Democratic front-runners Karl Dean and state Rep. Craig Fitzhugh expressed interest in allowing sports betting in Tennessee.
The well-liked former mayor of Nashville, Dean served two terms from 2007 to 2015. His moderate, pro-business platform spotlights education, jobs and healthcare. Fitzhugh is the minority leader in the state House. A former Air Force captain, he served in the military from 1976 to 1980.
Dean said sports betting wouldn’t be a “quick fix” for the budget and he’s not even certain Tennessee residents want it. “This is a state that has not embraced gambling, certainly not embraced casinos. We only recently allowed wine being sold on Sundays. I think we have got to go through a process where we respect the beliefs of the people of the state, figure out what people want and understand what the law is.”
However, Dean stated sports betting is like the lottery, since lawmakers approved that to prevent residents from “going to other states and spending their money there.” He noted sports betting is legal in Mississippi and likely to go live within two weeks. Missouri and Kentucky both considered sports betting bills this year, and Kentucky formed a legislative panel to pursue it in 2019. Virginia also is moving forward with sports betting legislation. “When everybody else around us is doing it, we’re going to need to do it, too,” Dean said.
Fitzhugh agreed, noting, “We’re probably going to have to do something quickly if it’s a constitutional amendment or some type of fast track, to make sure we don’t fall further behind in this issue.”
Fitzhugh pointed out illegal gambling already is occurring in Tennessee. “Look, it’s happening in Tennessee now, we’re just not getting any revenue from it. And I don’t think you’re going to keep it from happening, so you might as well try to help the citizens of Tennessee by the revenue that we can claim from that particular activity,” he said.
Under the state constitution, legalizing sports betting would require a voter referendum. Voters approved the state lottery and limited parimutuel horseracing. Lawmakers bypassed a referendum when they approved daily fantasy sports legislation in 2016.
Dean said, “Legally, I think there are a couple issues that have to be resolved first. First is whether there is a constitutional issue about whether we need a referendum or not. You can argue that one both ways, but that issue needs to be resolved.” He said ultimately the courts will decide whether or not sports betting requires a referendum or a constitutional amendment, or if lawmakers can legally fast-track it through the legislature.
