Alabamians betting on sports in Tennessee

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) – Tennessee officials report that they are seeing an influx of sports betting with the start of football, especially around the border of the state line.

“It jumps up with the start of football, the NFL and college football seasons in September,” Tennessee Sports Wagering Council Director of Engagement David Smith said. “It maintains a relatively high level September, October, November, and December. In January, you get the college bowl games, but that’s about it with the NFL playoffs, so then there’s fewer games to wager on.”

Sports betting has been legal in Tennessee for about the past four years.

The state only allows online betting, so mobile apps track the location of a user to make sure they’re in state lines.

Of the $13.5 billion wagered since legal betting launched in Tennessee, $240 million of that pool has gone to scholarship programs, local governments, and the Department of Mental Health.

Smith said it’s not just people that live in the state that are driving gambling revenue.

“Since November 1st of 2020, over $13.5 billion has been wagered in Tennessee. I want to be careful and say that’s not just Tennesseans. Nashville’s a hot tourist destination with Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg also. It’s people coming in from out state.”

While Alabama does not have legalized gambling, they still have resources for those struggling with a gambling addiction.

If you or someone you know needs help, you can call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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