Tennessee hopes to launch its long-awaited sports betting by early summer, or even late spring. But before the debut, the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation, along with its Sports Wagering Advisory Council, need to complete the details of the regulations. The lottery corporation indicated at January’s meeting that the regulations could be finalized at the February 18 meeting.
But according to TN Bets, a new piece of legislation introduced Tuesday would make some changes to the oversight and implementation.
Senate Bill 2216 comes from state Senator Steven Dickerson, a Republican from Nashville. Dickerson was one of the lawmakers behind the Sports Gaming Act, passed into law last year.
Dickerson’s law would tweak some of the provisions the Act as they pertain to the relationship between the lottery folks and the advisory council, whose nine members include appointees from several state officials.
Because the state lacks casinos for sportsbooks, Tennessee seeks to become the nation’s first internet-only sports wagering market, a process that has brought some criticism.
The legislation hasn’t been scheduled for a hearing yet. Dickerson’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the legislation from TN Bets. The TELC declined to comment.
SB 2216 appears to give more responsibility to the Advisory Council, as well as change some of the definitions in the original act. It’s unclear what the bill would do to the timeline if it gains traction in the legislature.
