NASHVILLE, Tennessee – A bill to authorize and regulate on-line sports betting in Tennessee was approved by the Tennessee General Assembly on Wednesday with a vote of 58 Ayes, 37 Noes and 2 Present and Not Voting. HB0001, filed on November 7, 2018, was sponsored by Knoxville Democrat Rick Staples in response to a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Murphy v. NCAA allowing states the ability to authorize and regulate sports betting. “The Tennessee Sports Gaming Act,” mandates that wagers on sporting events go through a licensee, which will have to pay a non-refundable application fee in the amount of $50,000 and an annual licensing fee of $750,000 as part of the application process. The bill describes a “sporting event” as any professional, collegiate or Olympic sporting or athletic event sanctioned by a national or international organization or association. It excludes horse racing, but includes “E-sports,” or any multi-player video game played competitively for spectators in person or remote connection. A “bettor” is defined as anyone 21 years or older and physically present in Tennessee when placing a wager. A tax of 22.5 percent of the adjusted gross income of the licensee will be collected as a privilege tax,…
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