Tennessee Senate advances bill targeting Illegal sweepstakes

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Tennessee lawmakers are transferring nearer to tightening the reins on unlawful on-line playing and sweepstakes after a Senate committee gave its backing to Senate Invoice 2136 this week.

The measure cleared the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee and not using a single dissenting vote, pushing it additional alongside within the legislative course of. In response to the invoice’s official file on LegiScan, SB 2136, sponsored by Sen. Ferrell Haile, was “beneficial for passage with modification/s” and referred to the Senate Calendar Committee on a unanimous 8–0 vote on Tuesday (February 24). Lawmakers first launched the proposal on January 23, and it’s now listed as 25% full in its path via the Normal Meeting.

Tennessee lawmakers advance SB2136 to ban unlawful on-line #sweepstakes playing, strengthen enforcement & increase AG oversight on illegal gaming. @RWW pic.twitter.com/p5szc479Dj

— Suswati Basu (@suswatibasu) February 24, 2026

Tennessee strikes to implement authority towards unlawful sweepstakes with invoice

When he offered the invoice, Haile defined that his workplace labored carefully with the Tennessee Lawyer Normal’s Workplace and the Tennessee Sports activities Wagering Council to reply to what he described as “rising issues about unlawful on-line playing in our state.” He told committee members the laws is designed to close down grey areas in present regulation and make it simpler for state officers to step in when operators break the foundations. “This invoice closes current enforcement gaps by granting the lawyer common clear, civil enforcement authority to take motion towards unlawful operators and strengthening client protections,” he stated in committee testimony.

Haile additionally stated the language spells out definitions round playing and sweepstakes-style platforms extra clearly, aiming at firms working “with out age verifications or correct oversight.”

In sensible phrases, the proposal would “designate unlawful playing and associated actions as a violation of the Tennessee Client Safety Act” and increase the investigative powers of each the Sports activities Wagering Council and the lawyer common. The laws would replace a number of sections of state regulation, together with elements of Titles 4, 8, 40 and 47 of the Tennessee Code Annotated.

A companion proposal within the Home, HB 1885, mirrors the Senate invoice and goes additional in detailing prohibited conduct. Its draft textual content states it could be unlawful to “function, conduct, or commercially promote on-line sweepstakes video games or different types of on-line or app-based playing inside this state,” whereas additionally banning the sale or distribution of playing gadgets or any exercise that helps illegal on-line betting. The Home measure frames these violations as threats to the state’s public well being, security, and welfare.

Latest enforcement actions sign more durable stance

The legislative push follows a string of enforcement strikes throughout Tennessee. In current months, the attorney general has issued cease-and-desist letters to a number of on-line sweepstakes casinos accused of skirting state playing legal guidelines. One main sweepstakes operator, VGW, announced it would end sweepstakes-style play in Tennessee as scrutiny intensified.

That is one other optimistic step towards eradicating unlawful offshore sportsbooks from Tennessee.

Thanks to @AGTennessee and everybody in that workplace for his or her work on this.https://t.co/0QWhyu3VRz

— Tennessee Sports activities Wagering Council (@tnswac) August 6, 2025

On the similar time, the Tennessee Sports activities Wagering Council has ramped up penalties against unlicensed sportsbooks. Regulators lately levied six-figure fines towards offshore operators accused of taking bets from Tennesseans with out approval, together with actions that collectively reached $250,000 in penalties.

Supporters of SB 2136 argue these steps present why clearer authority is required. As written, the invoice wouldn’t intervene with authorized gaming already permitted within the state, such because the lottery, regulated sports activities wagering, or charitable gaming occasions. As an alternative, backers say it offers regulators and regulation enforcement sharper instruments to pursue firms that proceed to function outdoors Tennessee’s guidelines.

The put up Tennessee Senate advances bill targeting Illegal sweepstakes appeared first on ReadWrite.

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