In a unanimous vote, the nine-member Tennessee Sports Wagering Advisory Council recently selected Mary Beth Thomas to serve as its executive director. The council reviewed more than 45 applications for the position.
Currently Thomas serves as the general counsel in Secretary of State Tre Hargett’s office, which regulates fantasy sports and charitable gaming.
Earlier this year, lawmakers passed a bill to spin off the advisory council by January from the Tennessee Lottery, which currently regulates sports betting. Legislators approved sports betting in spring 2019; the first bets were placed in November 2020.
