Tennessee has few options for legal gaming aside from mobile sports betting and the state lottery, but you can play online poker legally and win prizes convertible to real money by playing sweepstakes poker in the Volunteer State 🎸.
Sports betting launched in 2020, nearly 17 years after the Tennessee Lottery sold its first ticket. Not much has changed with gaming in TN since, although a joint resolution introduced in 2021 would have authorized casino gaming — and did not rule out the possibility of online casino. With a population of 7.1 million, the Volunteer State would be considered a small market for real money online poker.
Despite the failure of that proposal from 2021, Tennesseans can play online poker in their home state! We recommend sweepstakes online poker sites, where your winnings are convertible to real money.
Sweepstakes poker sites offer poker in a variety of formats, as well as sit & gos and ring games. They also hold tournaments on a daily basis.
We recommend Clubs Poker for sweepstakes poker. It’s a new platform, but it’s also packed with features that are sure to delight players. Early reviews show the platform offers an online poker experience comparable to the best online poker software in the world. We expect the site will become very popular and grow quickly.
Tennesseans can also visit free-play poker sites and download free-play poker apps. We recommend these options for beginners because they offer players the opportunity to learn how to play without spending any money.
Can I Play Online Poker in Tennessee?
Yes, you can play online poker in the Volunteer State! You have a choice between playing for prizes that can be converted to real money or playing for free. We recommend sweepstakes poker for those looking to compete for cash prizes or for anyone looking for a true online poker experience.
On the other hand, if you’re entirely new to poker, we recommend downloading free-play apps or visiting free-play sites. These are great options for learning about the game without spending any money.
| Online Poker in Tennessee: Key Facts | |
|---|---|
| 📢 What’s Legal | Social poker, including sweepstakes and free-play sites |
| ✨ Main Highlights | Sweepstakes poker has daily tournaments, players can win real money |
| 🔮Real Money Online Poker (Regulated) |
Legislation is considered unlikely anytime soon |
| 🃏 Available Games | No Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, and several mixed game variants |
| 🔞 Legal Age | Players must be 18 years of age or older |
| 👥 TN Population | 7.1 Million (ranks 15th) |
The Best Online Poker Sites in Tennessee
Tennessee is a beautiful state with plenty of things to see and do, including playing online poker. Whether you’re in Memphis at one end of the state, Knoxville at the other end, or anywhere in between, online poker is available.
We recommend sweepstakes poker for anyone looking for an experience that resembles playing in a real cash game, and free-play apps and sites for those looking to play for free.
“Sweepstakes poker” is a term used to describe two types of online poker site: subscription-based sites and modern sweepstakes sites. Both sites offer prizes that can be converted to real money.
Subscription-based sites are pretty straightforward. For a monthly fee, players can enter daily tournaments where the winnings can be converted to real money.
Modern sweepstakes sites are a little more complicated and need some explanation:
How modern sweepstakes poker sites work Under this model, players use real money to buy play tokens (aka Gold Coins). Players are gifted a second type of token, Sweeps Coins, which are considered entries into a sweepstakes. Sweeps Coins are needed to enter ring games and tournaments that offer prizes convertible to real money.
We recommend Clubs Poker, which is a modern sweepstakes poker site. Here are short descriptions of three online poker sites that operate legally under sweepstakes law in Tennessee:
Clubs Poker
Clubs Poker is a new online poker site that follows the modern sweepstakes poker model. While this is a new site, we expect Clubs Poker will quickly become popular with players for its many features, including bad beat jackpots, bomb pots, rabbit hunting, run it twice, and straddles.
Recreational players are expected to be drawn to the site, so there should be plenty of soft games. Beyond the usual offering of No-Limit Texas Hold’em (NLH) and Pot Limit Omaha (PLO), Clubs Poker also has several mixed game variants, including 2-7 Single Draw, 5 & 6 Card Omaha, and HORSE.
Read our full review of Clubs Poker »
ClubWPT
ClubWPT is a subscription-based online poker site that hosts tournaments every day. For a monthly fee, players on the platform have a chance to win access to events on the popular World Poker Tour.
Most of the tournaments on ClubWPT are either NLH or Pot Limit Omaha. ClubWPT has sit-and-gos (SNGs) and ring games, but ring games are only available in play money mode, so players aren’t able to win prizes convertible to real money through ring games.
Read our full review of ClubWPT »
Global Poker
Global Poker is another site that follows the modern sweepstakes model, where players use real money to buy play tokens (aka Gold Coins) and receive Sweeps Coins as a gift. Sweeps Coins are used to access sweepstakes tables, where players can win prizes convertible to real money.
Large guarantees are regularly offered by Global Poker through MTT series. The site also gives special prizes for winners, including custom-made trophies, swag, and unique avatars.
Read our full review of Global Poker »
Free-Play Poker in Tennessee
You can also play online poker for free in Tennessee. Players can download free-play apps or visit free-play poker sites and play online poker — without spending any money. Free-play is our recommendation for new players or for anyone trying to get comfortable with the mechanics of the game.
Governor of Poker, Replay Poker, and Zynga Poker are three popular free-play sites, but there are many more. Facebook and other social media platforms also offer online poker for free.
Two popular real money online poker operators, PokerStars and WSOP, also have free versions of their online poker product. They offer free-play versions with the hope that once new players become more comfortable with playing poker, they will migrate to their “paid” sites, assuming the players live in a state where real money online poker is legal and regulated.
Free-play sites are a great place for new players to learn hand rankings, how to bet, the overall flow of the game, and many other aspects of online poker.
One thing to remember: Since there is no way to win real money in free-play poker, players that play exclusively for free won’t gain any insight into developing a winning poker strategy.
Real Money Online Poker in Tennessee
Tennessee’s modern gaming history is short. Lawmakers agreed to establish a state lottery in 2003 and created the Tennessee Education Lottery (TEL) Corporation to run it. The Tennessee Lottery sold its first ticket in January 2004.
When a bill to authorize mobile sports betting came before the General Assembly in 2019, lawmakers stripped out a provision that would have created a gaming commission under the Secretary of State. Instead, they gave TEL oversight of mobile wagering and established an entity called the Sports Wagering Advisory Council (SWAC) — which would serve in an advisory capacity and nothing more.
Mobile sports betting launched in November 2020 — there are no retail sportsbooks in the state.
During the 2021 session, lawmakers reversed course and passed another bill to put SWAC in charge of mobile sports betting. The panel is also in charge of fantasy sports betting. SWAC took over from TEL on January 1, 2022. The agency shortened its name to the Sports Wagering Council in May 2023.
Why doesn’t Tennessee have casinos and other forms of gambling? Tennessee is a socially conservative state that traditionally has been averse to gambling. Attitudes have slowly evolved — a state lottery launched in 2004, followed by mobile sports betting in 2020. A resolution to allow casino gaming was introduced the following year but was unsuccessful.
The 2021 session was remarkable for another reason — Rep. Jason Powell (D-Nashville) introduced a joint resolution to allow casino gaming in the Volunteer State. It should be noted that while HJR 93 articulated that “the legislature may authorize casino gaming to be operated within this state,” it did not specifically exclude online casino gaming — meaning lawmakers could consider expanded igaming, too.
HJR 93 didn’t get very far. It was assigned to a committee in March 2021, one month after its introduction by Powell. It was put on the calendar for consideration but unscheduled six days later. Nothing happened after that and the resolution died.
Tennessee isn’t facing much pressure from neighboring states to build land-based casinos. While there are multiple casinos just over the border in Mississippi, three other neighboring states — Arkansas, Missouri, and Virginia — have only one casino each on their side of the line with TN. There are no casinos, and very little gaming of any kind, in neighboring Alabama, Kentucky, or Georgia.
Multi-State Online Poker in Tennessee
At this stage, it seems unlikely that Tennessee lawmakers would expand igaming beyond mobile sports betting. Online casinos could be a bridge too far for some conservative lawmakers, which presumably would present an obstacle for legalizing real money online poker, too.
That said, other states with legal sports betting have considered taking an incremental step to expanded igaming by legalizing online poker, but not online casino gaming. One example is Ohio, where a panel of lawmakers issued a report floating that idea in July 2024.
Should lawmakers in Tennessee decide to legalize a state-regulated market for online poker, it would be wise for the state to also join a multi-jurisdictional gaming compact to help support and grow the game in the Volunteer State. The only such compact in the US is the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA), which currently includes Delaware, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, and West Virginia.
Operators in the MSIGA states can combine their player pools, which creates shared liquidity. That leads to bigger prizes, bigger tournaments, and better competition for players. It also leads to more tax revenue for states, fewer people playing on illegal offshore sites, and more excitement for online poker.
Poker Sites Likely to Launch in Tennessee
Tennessee has about 7.1 million residents, which means it ranks 15th among US states for population. It also means the state is likely too small to operate as a segregated market. Without membership in MSIGA, real money online poker in the Volunteer State probably won’t get off the ground.
How many licenses SWC will ultimately issue for online poker is anyone’s guess, but the regulator is likely to expand the scope of licenses already issued for mobile sports betting to cover online casino and poker.
There isn’t a cap on the number of licenses for mobile sports betting, so the top three real money online poker operators in the US — BetMGM Poker, PokerStars, and WSOP — should be able to get market access. At last count there were 12 operators offering mobile sports betting in Tennessee, including BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, and FanDuel.
FanDuel and PokerStars are both Flutter brands, but it’s too early to predict whether they could share a license. Caesars owns WSOP.
One operator conspicuously absent from the sports betting scene is Rush Street Interactive (RSI). The Chicago-based company is developing a poker platform, BetRivers Poker.
The following scenarios are how we believe Tennessee, assuming it is a member of MSIGA, will fit into operator’s plans for multi-state poker. These matchups are purely hypothetical:
| Operator | Likely Tennessee Brand | Hypothetical Network Plans |
|---|---|---|
| BetMGM Poker | BetMGM Poker TN | The operator could set up a four-state network across MI-NJ-NV-TN, but BetMGM first needs to launch in Nevada and combine its MI and NJ player pools. |
| BetRivers Poker | BetRivers Poker TN | A poker platform in development by Rush Street Interactive (RSI). A three-state network that includes MI-NJ-TN seems the most likely plan, but Delaware could also be included. |
| PokerStars USA | PokerStars TN | PokerStars could set up a three-state network across MI-NJ-TN, just like BetRivers. |
| WSOP Online | WSOP TN | Like BetMGM, WSOP could make a four-state network of MI-NJ-NV-TN. WSOP runs the only online poker room in Nevada, but it lost market access to Delaware in late 2023. |
Tennessee Online Poker FAQ
Is online poker legal in Tennessee?
Yes, you can play online poker in Tennessee today! We recommend sweepstakes poker if you’re interested in playing online poker where your winnings can be converted to real money. For anyone looking to play online poker for free, we recommend free-play apps and free-play sites.
Does Tennessee have real money online poker?
No, there isn’t a regulated market for real money online poker in Tennessee. That’s unlikely to change anytime soon, but a resolution to authorize casino gaming was introduced in 2021, and it did not exclude online casinos. In the interim, we recommend sweepstakes online poker, which is a legal alternative and where your winnings can be converted to real money.
Is sweepstakes poker available in Tennessee?
Yes, you can play modern sweepstakes poker in Tennessee. Under this model, players use real money to buy play tokens (aka Gold Coins) and receive Sweeps Coins as a gift. Sweeps Coins are used to enter tables where the winnings can be converted to real money. Clubs Poker is our recommendation for modern sweepstakes poker.
Are subscription poker sites available in Tennessee?
Yes, you will also find subscription-based poker sites in the Volunteer State. Players pay a monthly fee for access to tables where winnings can be converted to real money. It’s a popular and legal option for players who live in a state without a regulated market for real money online poker — including Tennessee.
Can I play online ring games in Tennessee?
Yes, Clubs Poker has ring games. Since it’s a modern sweepstakes poker site, players will need a certain number of Sweeps Coins to get a seat at tables where the winnings are convertible to real money.
Does Tennessee have online poker tournaments?
Yes, and you will find online poker tournaments in several formats. For example, Clubs Poker hosts bounty tournaments, multi-table tournaments (MTTs), progressive knockout tournaments (PKOs), and sit-and-go (SNG) tournaments.
What types of poker games are available online?
No-Limit Texas Hold’em (NLH) and Pot Limit Omaha (PLO) are the most popular games found online, but Clubs Poker also has mixed game variants like Omaha Hi-Lo, 2-7 Single Draw, 5 & 6 Omaha, and HORSE.
Is PokerStars legal in Tennessee?
No, PokerStars and the other top real money online poker operators in the US — BetMGM Poker and WSOP — do not operate in Tennessee. We expect all three operators, plus BetRivers Poker, would launch in Tennessee if the state sets up a regulated space for real money online poker and also joins a multi-state compact like MSIGA to support the game.
Can I play online poker on offshore sites?
Playing online poker on offshore sites isn’t recommended because they don’t offer the same consumer protections as legal, regulated sites. When players disclose their personal information on such sites they put themselves at risk of identity theft. Federal officials have warned US citizens not to play poker on offshore sites because they have no legal recourse to collect winnings owed to them.