Sweepstakes Casinos in Tennessee: Banned, and What Is Left

Not all of it. Tennessee banned dual-currency sweepstakes casinos in May 2026 under SB 2136 / HB 1885. Licensed online sports betting remains legal and regulated by the Tennessee Sports Wagering Council. Online casino gaming was never licensed in Tennessee in the first place.

The Attorney General's December 2025 action named 40 operators, including Chumba Casino, Zula Casino, High 5 Casino, McLuck, LuckyLand, Modo, Legendz, WOW Vegas, Global Poker, Fortune Coins, Hello Millions, Sportzino, Stake and Yay Casino. All named operators have blocked Tennessee or set a date to stop operating there.

The Attorney General's office argued the dual-currency coin model was a façade concealing real-money gambling, making it an illegal lottery under state law and a consumer-protection breach. The legislature then wrote the ban into statute in May 2026.

No. Both were named in the December 2025 cease-and-desist action and have restricted access for Tennessee residents. The May 2026 law makes the model unlawful in the state.

Licensed mobile sportsbooks for sports betting. For casino games there is no licensed in-state option, so the remaining real-money route is an offshore operator licensed outside the U.S. — with the caveat that no U.S. regulator stands behind it.

The enforcement action and the 2026 statute were aimed at operators, not at individual players. That said, these sites sit outside any U.S. regulatory framework, so you carry the counterparty risk yourself. Keep balances small and withdraw often.

There is no licensing framework today and no bill has created one. Given the state has just moved in the opposite direction on sweepstakes, we would not plan around a near-term change. We update this page when the legal position genuinely moves rather than speculating about timelines.

No. Tennessee has no commercial or tribal casinos and no retail sportsbooks. It is the only state whose entire regulated sports-betting market is mobile.

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Sweepstakes casinos operating a dual-currency model are completely banned under Tennessee state law. The state government officially outlawed these platforms, classifying their business model as an illegal lottery rather than a legitimate promotional sweepstakes. Residents can't legally access or play on these social casino websites.

Chumba Casino stopped operating in Tennessee because the state Attorney General issued a cease-and-desist notice demanding they halt operations. State officials determined that the dual-currency system used by Chumba Casino and similar platforms functions as an illegal lottery, forcing the operator to permanently block all local players.

You can't play Zula Casino or High 5 Casino while located inside Tennessee. Both of these operators were specifically named in state enforcement actions and have completely blocked local residents from accessing their platforms to comply with the statewide ban on dual-currency sweepstakes games.

There are absolutely no physical casinos of any kind located anywhere in Tennessee. The state doesn't authorize any commercial casinos, tribal gambling facilities, or retail sportsbooks, meaning anyone looking for a traditional brick-and-mortar casino experience must travel across state lines.

Mobile sports betting is the only form of legal online gambling licensed and regulated in Tennessee. The state operates an exclusively mobile sports-betting market overseen by the Tennessee Sports Wagering Council, while traditional online casinos and promotional sweepstakes casinos remain strictly prohibited.

Yes, the Tennessee governor signed specific legislation that permanently bans all dual-currency sweepstakes casinos statewide. This law officially closed any legal loopholes these operators previously used, making it explicitly illegal to offer these social casino games with cash prize redemptions to residents.

The Tennessee Attorney General sent cease-and-desist notices to dozens of operators because officials concluded the sweepstakes model was a façade concealing real-money gambling. By offering a dual-currency system where players could purchase virtual coins and redeem prizes, the state argued these companies were running illegal lotteries.

Players in Tennessee can no longer access Global Poker to play for redeemable cash prizes. Global Poker was among the specific operators targeted by state enforcement actions, and the platform has since blocked local players to comply with the statewide prohibition on sweepstakes gaming models.

Tennessee strictly bans the use of credit cards for any licensed online gambling deposits. If you're funding an account with a legal mobile sportsbook, you must use alternative payment methods like debit cards or bank transfers, as credit card transactions are prohibited by law.

There's no statewide self-exclusion list for online casinos because internet casino gaming is entirely unregulated in Tennessee. While the state regulator runs a voluntary self-exclusion program for licensed sportsbooks, players seeking to block offshore or sweepstakes casino sites must contact each operator individually.

The Tennessee Sports Wagering Council is the sole regulatory body responsible for overseeing online sports betting in the state. This agency ensures that the approved mobile operators follow all local laws, handle consumer complaints, and maintain the required minimum betting age of twenty-one.

The Tennessee REDLINE for problem gambling assistance is 1-800-889-9789. This free, confidential service is available around the clock via call or text and is managed by the state Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to connect residents with immediate help.

Sites like McLuck and WOW Vegas no longer accept players from Tennessee due to strict state enforcement. Both of these platforms received direct legal notices from the state government and subsequently blocked local residents from creating accounts or participating in their sweepstakes games.

You can legally gamble on your phone in Tennessee, but your options are strictly limited to licensed mobile sports betting apps. All other forms of mobile gambling, including standard online casinos and dual-currency sweepstakes apps, are completely illegal and blocked within state borders.