A day many Tennessee sports betting enthusiasts have been looking forward to is just a few days away. The sportsbook BetMGM, which is part of the MGM Resorts Enterprise, is one of four sportsbooks that will launch on Sunday November 1st.
The announcement came as part of an official statement released by MGM Resorts today. There had long been speculation about which sports betting platforms would be the first in the state and now, the first four have been given their final seal of approval from the Tennessee Gaming Commission
The CEO of BetMGM, Adam Greenblatt, said “The BetMGM team has been working closely
with Tennessee regulators and gaming officials. All sides want to make sure the historic launch goes smoothly, without any hiccups.”Greenblatt added, “We’ve been eagerly working with regulators in Tennessee to make this
momentous launch a possibility. We here at BetMGM are looking forward to introducing the state’s
passionate fan bases to the excitement of betting on sports with BetMGM.”
There Will Be 4 Sportsbooks On Sunday
Greenblatt continued, “Our relationship with MGM Resorts enables BetMGM users in the Volunteer State to earn rewards from hotel suites to dinners at award winning restaurants, all while engaging in the excitement of our cutting edge sport betting experience.”
MGM Resorts have several five star properties all across the country, and some international facilities as well. One of the big selling points that BetMGM used to solidify their platform in Tennessee, was that players could use their earned points at MGM Resorts properties.
That list includes world famous casinos and resorts like the Bellagio, and MGM Resorts in Las Vegas as well as Beau Rivage in Mississippi, just to name a few. According to a source with BetMGM, any points or benefits accrued with a sports betting rewards account, can be used at any MGM Resort property and casino anywhere in the world.
BetMGM has already partnered with the NFL’s Tennessee Titans, and this sportsbook being launched in the state is part of that partnership. It was the first agreement in the Volunteer State between a professional sports team and a sports betting provider.
Tennessee is the seventh state where the BetMGM sportsbook operates. The others are Colorado, Indiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, and West Virginia. The BetMGM app is very user-friendly, according to reviews from current customers. There is a wide array of options as far as different sports and leagues to place bets on.
DraftKings and FanDuel Will Also Launch
Sports betting giants DraftKings and FanDuel will also launch their sportsbooks on Sunday. A fourth sportsbook, Action 247, is going live solely in Tennessee.
The Tennessee Legislature authorized legal sports betting to go forward in the state in May 2019. Since that time, there have been several battles waged between advocates and naysayers. The Tennessee Education Lottery overseas sports betting, and evaluates and issues licenses. At this time, a sports betting license in the state costs $750,000 yearly.
Tennessee will offer a mobile only betting platform, since they don’t have any casinos in the state. It is the only state thus far that has online-only sports betting. That was one of the major issues to overcome when lawmakers in the state were working on the sports betting legislation. There was a lot of objections from various groups, including several churches.
In the end, the state did agree to go forward with legalized sports betting. One of the biggest arguments made in its favor was that illegal sports betting was going on in the state anyways, and it was long overdue to legalize it, tax it, and use the revenue for state programs.
