The Tennessee Education Lottery has brought on one of the sports betting industry’s top minds as its vice president of sports gaming operations.
Danielle Boyd is leaving Las Vegas and William Hill to join the TEL ahead of the Volunteer State’s anticipated launch of sports wagering later this year.
Tennessee, home to no casinos, was the first state in the country to pass legislation for a sports wagering market confined to the internet.
Boyd’s previous experience includes helping the state of West Virginia become one of the first states in the country to take advantage of the 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned the federal prohibition on single-game sports wagering.
About 2 years ago, I left WV after launching sports betting. It led me to @WilliamHillUS where I gained invaluable experience & helped shape the U.S. industry. So excited to share my next stop will be Nashville where I am joining the @TNLottery as VP of Sports Gaming Operations!
— Danielle Boyd (@danyeller714) June 29, 2020
Boyd’s hiring comes on the heels of news that attorney Jennifer Roberts, another top industry expert from Las Vegas who had been hired by the TEL in 2019 as director of sports gaming regulation, ended her tenure with the TEL last week.
Today is my last day with the Tennessee Lottery and I’m super excited to be joining the team at @GameCoLLC as VP/General Counsel starting July 1.
— Jennifer Roberts (@JRoVegas) June 26, 2020
In addition to Boyd, the TEL announced the hiring of Danny DiRienzo, formerly with the U.S. Secret Service, as sports gaming investigator.
“We’ve hired Danielle Boyd as vice president of sports gaming operations and Danny DiRienzo as sports gaming investigator, and we’re excited about what they bring to the TEL team,” TEL Director of Communications Dave Smith told TN Bets via email. “Danielle comes to the TEL from William Hill U.S. where she was the head of government relations. Before William Hill, she was the managing general counsel for the West Virginia Lottery. Danny spent the last 22 years as a special agent with the U.S. Secret Service conducting various types of complex financial crimes investigations in Boston; Washington, D.C.; Indianapolis; Wilmington, N.C.; and Nashville.”
Upcoming launch
Boyd will be integral in helping the TEL cross the finish line on seeing the first sportsbooks launch as early as September ahead of football.
The most recent information from the TEL indicates that three sports betting firms have moved forward with applying for a sports gaming operator license. More are likely to see entry into the state pending more certainty with the sports world amid the public health crisis.
Tennessee legalized sports wagering in mid-2019, but the process of crafting regulations and licensing firms has taken longer than originally anticipated.
