Churchill Downs, William Hill, Wynn Next Up For Tennessee Sports Betting

Besides the four sports betting operators that have been approved for live sports wagering beginning Sunday in Tennessee, three more have filed applications and are awaiting approval. Churchill Downs, William Hill, and Wynn have all filed applications, TNBets has learned after filing a Freedom of Information request to the Tennessee Education Lottery (TEL). The lottery previously declined to disclose the names of applicants that were not currently in the approval process.

In addition, TN Bets learned that supplier SimpleBet and vendor City Dot d/b/a Media Farm Social have also filed applications. A list of approved operators, suppliers, and vendors is available on the TEL website.

Sports betting became legal in Tennessee on July 1, 2019, and the TEL is expected on Sunday to launch four operators — BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, and Tennessee Action 24/7. The lottery has moved toward the Nov. 1 debut date over the last few months, approving all four operators, six suppliers, and more than 80 vendors. It has also been tweaking regulations and working with operators to prepare for launch.

No timeline for next round of approvals

The TEL did not disclose when CDI, William Hill, or Wynn filed applications, though sources indicate the applications were filed as early as September, and that a fourth operator has filed an application, as well.

The TEL has not indicated what the timeline for approval of the next batch of operators will be. It has been focused recently on launching the first four operators.

CDI, William Hill, and Wynn are all nationally known brands that offer legal sports betting in other states in the U.S. Here’s a quick look at the three operators:

Churchill Downs

CDI operates its sports betting business under the BetAmerica brand. It first went live with retail sports betting Mississippi in 2018 before launching its first mobile/online platform in New Jersey in early 2019. BetAmerica also has live digital platforms in Indiana and Pennsylvania. CDI offers online casino in the states where that is legal.

William Hill

William Hill is live for retail and/or digital sports betting in 12 legal U.S. jurisdictions, and it is poised to add Michigan through a partnership with the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians when regulators there set a go-live date. William Hill’s retail sportsbook at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., is the first of its kind at a pro sports arena in the U.S.

Wynn 

An iconic brand in casino gaming, Wynn launched its first digital sports betting platform in New Jersey in August 2020. The Wynn app is also available in Nevada. The company has market access in Colorado and Indiana via a partnership with Full House Resorts and plans to expand. Wynn will also be in the mix in Michigan, where it partnered with the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.