Good news and bad news, folks. The good news is that Tennessee offers sweepstakes casinos, with chances to redeem real prizes and enjoy casino-style games. The bad news?
Tennessee doesn’t offer real money online casinos, and it isn’t likely to legalize them anytime soon. Instead, you can enjoy the sweepstakes casino sites outlined on this page.
Top Tennessee online casino options
While we hope for legal online casinos in Tennessee, there are similar options available in the state: namely, sweepstakes and social casinos. These sites allow you to play for free using virtual currency. They also tend to provide a premium option, through which you can redeem cash prizes. We’ll cover a few of the top sites in greater detail a little further down on this page.
Are online casinos in Tennessee legal?
Online casinos are not legal in Tennessee. In fact, the state has a strong stance against casinos right now. There are no land-based casinos in the state, either, and that doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon.
The same goes for possible online casino legislation. There’s been no significant legislative movement in this area. For now, TN seems firm in its stance. Consider the Tennessee sports betting bill that passed in 2019. The state barely allowed it to pass, with Governor Bill Lee allowing the bill to go through without his signature. The bottom line is that without a strong champion for them and a unified legislative front, online casinos are unlikely to come to Tennessee in the near future.
Even so, there are possible models Tennessee could follow to make the most of online casinos should it ever legalize them. Neighboring West Virginia and other legal online gaming states provide a solid framework for how the state could approach things. What could influence the legalization in Tennessee is if Kentucky online casinos were to get legalized in the future.
Possible Tennessee online casino framework
These bits of info are merely possibilities. If and when Tennessee legalizes online casinos, we’ll update this page with the relevant details.
Tennessee sweepstakes casino sites
While real money online casinos remain illegal in Tennessee, there are alternate options: namely, sweepstakes casinos. We’ll cover the differences between real money gaming and sweepstakes gaming in the next section. For now, it helps to know a few things. First, sweepstakes casinos are legal in many states, even those that don’t allow real money online gaming. Second, they allow you to redeem cash prizes and/or gift cards. Here’s a quick look at some of the top sweepstakes TN casinos.
| Sweepstakes Casino Site | Welcome Bonus | Mobile App? | Games | Best Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WOW Vegas | Up to 35 SC and 1.5 million WOW Coins | No | Slots, bingo | Dozens of promotions for existing users |
| McLuck | Up to 27.5 SC and 57,500 GC | Yes | Slots, live dealer | McJackpots can hit on any spin |
| High 5 | 55 Free SC and 1 SC daily for 5 days | Yes | Slots, live dealer, table games | Diamonds can be used to redeem special perks |
| Real Prize | Up to 625,000 GC plus 125 free SC on first purchase | No | Slots | Great daily login bonus |
| Pulsz | 40 free SC with 400,000 GC purchase | Yes | Slots, table games, bingo | Top-notch mobile app |
| Crown Coins | Up to 77 SC and 1.6 million Crown Coins | Yes | Slots | Increasing daily login bonus |
| Hello Millions | Up to 27.5 SC and 65,000 GC | No | Slots | Art pop aesthetic |
Real money casinos vs. sweepstakes casinos
While they offer similar experiences, real-money online casinos and sweepstakes casinos have some crucial differences.
Let’s start with real money online casinos. As we’ve discussed, these are not allowed in Tennessee. In states where they are legal, real money casinos allow deposits and withdrawals. Players can spend their money and (possibly) win real money to withdraw. It’s essentially the same as playing at a physical casino, just on your phone or computer.
On the other hand, sweepstakes casinos do not allow deposits and withdrawals. Instead, you can purchase standard currency (usually called Gold Coins) and/or get it for free from bonuses and loyalty programs. When you play with Gold Coins (or similar), you’re playing for fun. While you can win more Gold Coins, they have no cash value and can’t be redeemed.
Meanwhile, there’s a second type of virtual currency, typically called Sweeps Coins or Sweepstakes Coins. These cannot be purchased and are instead given out as bonuses or freebies when you buy Gold Coins. When you play with SC and amass enough, you can request a cash prize, gift card, or crypto reward (depending on what the casino offers).
Sweepstakes casinos operate under sweepstakes laws, so they are available in many more markets than real money online casinos. Tennessee currently allows most sweepstakes casinos. The same is true for Kentucky sweepstakes casinos.
Are Tennessee sweepstakes casino sites legit?
Short answer? Yes. Slightly longer answer? Also yes.
Sweepstakes and social casinos operate legally. While some states prohibit them, others do not. In states that allow sweepstakes casinos, the operators must abide by strict laws that allow them to keep the “sweepstakes” label. These include stipulations that sweepstakes coins cannot be purchased and that users must be able to enter for free (such as through mail-in entries).
Additionally, sweepstakes casinos employ all sorts of security practices to keep you safe. They use trusted payment providers and SSL encryption to protect your data.
Some notable markets outright prohibit sweepstakes casinos: Michigan, Montana, Nevada, and Washington are among them.
We’re also experiencing a new wave of sweepstakes casino bans, as some states look to clamp down on gaming options that aren’t regulated by the same government organizations that oversee real-money online casinos. Connecticut and New York are two notable examples of states that have started to crack down on sweepstakes operators.
The good news for you, the player, is that sweepstakes casinos can only be played in states that allow them to operate, including Tennessee. That’s not the case at illegal or offshore online casinos.
Tennessee online casinos and responsible gambling
Responsible gambling is already a hot topic in Tennessee thanks to the many legal sportsbooks in the state. Should Tennessee legalize online casinos, responsible gaming resources will likely get increased attention, and companies may invest further in the TN gambling ecosystem. This is crucial for a healthy online gaming industry, as it poses risks to certain players.
Tennessee Problem Gambling Programs include the Problem Gambling Treatment Services Program and the Tennessee REDLINE at 800-889-9789 (call or text). Other services include self-exclusion, KindBridge, the National Problem Gambling Helpline, and many others.
Final thoughts on Tennessee real money casinos
Tennessee currently seems content with its existing online sportsbook market. The state’s lawmakers have shown little to no interest in legalizing online casinos, but that could change if other states start the dominoes falling. One of Tennessee’s neighbors, West Virginia, provides a good example of an online casino framework. Should Tennessee legalize, it could pull from WV’s existing regulations to build a regulatory overview that works for everyone and brings the state additional revenue.
In Tennessee’s absence of online casinos, players could be subject to advertising and enticement from illegal sites, potentially posing more danger than a legal industry would. Sweepstakes casinos are available and legal in the meantime, though.
