Tennessee Latest State to Report Record Sports Betting Handle in November

On Tuesday, the Tennessee Sports Wagering Advisory Council (SWAC) released their November earnings report, showcasing the continued growth and popularity of the U.S. legal sports betting industry.

In November, Tennessee sports bettors showed up in large numbers, leading to a new record for the state’s sports betting apps. It was the first time that sportsbooks in Tennessee had reached over $500 million in bets in a single month.

The launch of Kentucky and Virginia sports betting, as well as the upcoming North Carolina sports betting scene, did not seem to have much impact on Tennessee online sportsbooks.

Tennessee sportsbooks handle $517.1 million

In November, Tennessee not only surpassed their previous legal sports betting record but also exceeded it by a wide margin. The state’s mobile-only sports betting platform saw a total of $517.1 million wagered.

Tennessee’s top sports betting sites reported a record $517.1 million in bets in November, surpassing the previous high of $445.2 million set in October. This marked a 16.2% increase from the previous SWAC report.

This represents a year-on-year improvement of approximately $75 million, or 17.6%, from the $439.5 million reported in November 2026.

Tax haul record

The revenue figures for Tennessee’s top sportsbooks are a complex narrative. Although the SWAC did not disclose specific sportsbook revenues, they did report the tax revenue that benefited state and local governments for the month.

Tennessee made changes to its taxation of legal sports betting providers in July. Instead of taxing sportsbook operator revenues at a 20% rate, the state is now taxing Tennessee sports betting apps 1.85% of their total handle. This unexpected move has produced varying outcomes thus far.

In some cases, the new policy has led to a tax benefit, but in others, it has been a disappointment.

The new tax rules in November proved to be beneficial, as record-breaking Tennessee sports betting app activity resulted in a new tax contribution record. Last month, a total of $9.5 million was generated for state and local coffers, surpassing the $8.2 million from October and the $9.03 million from November 2026.

In December 2026, Tennessee sports betting sites set a new record for tax contributions with $9.4 million, surpassing the previous record.

Upward trajectory

There was initial worry in the Tennessee legal sports betting industry about potential competition from neighboring states, but the Volunteer State has actually experienced consistent growth in sports betting handle since the start of the NFL season. The launch of ESPN BET Tennessee has further ignited interest in the industry in the state.

Despite this, reports from November in certain states where Disney’s sports betting brand is operating have indicated that it has not had a significant impact on the state’s financial performance.