William Hill Joins Impressive Tennessee Legal Sports Betting Scene

The state of Tennessee became part the US legal sports betting family under somewhat controversial circumstances but has not looked back since launch November 1. Despite not being the most "industry-friendly" jurisdiction to come online, elite sports betting providers have obviously taken note of what the state has managed to accomplish in a short period of time and are eager to enter the Tennessee scene.

The latest sportsbook to go live in the Volunteer State is William Hill, which launched its online sportsbook in Tennessee's online-only market on Thursday. Not coincidentally, the launch corresponds with this year's March Madness Tournament which is expected to be an enormous draw for Tennessee bettors.

Kenneth Fuchs, President of Digital for William Hill US, explained: “As we head into one of the most exciting times of the year for sports fans, the William Hill app will make March moments even more interesting for Tennessee bettors. We will have thousands of markets available, including for your local favorites, live in-game betting, and daily promotions and bonuses for players.”

A Peek at the Tennessee Scene

The state of Tennessee wasn't without its controversy prior to launch of the nation's first online-only sports betting platform. Legislators opted for a debatable Lottery-run system, which had been underwhelming in other states, and they decided on an unusually high 20% tax rate and unheard-of 10% hold, which many saw as a deterrent for prospective top-end sports betting providers.

But all of the controversy has been replaced with praise an optimism for the Tennessee scene. A $211 million January handle took Tennessee's first three-months total to $523 million – more than any state in its first-three months of legal sports betting operation. Tennessee became the fastest state to hit $200 million in bets despite just four legal mobile sportsbooks in operation.

What William Hill Brings To the Table

Tennessee becomes William Hill's 12th US jurisdiction in which it has launched its online and mobile sports betting products. Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, D.C all have their own William Hill sportsbooks. The company has no shortage of experience not only in the US market but also in internationally.

According to a press release, "William Hill offers a seamless experience that makes it easy and quick to make a sports wager and gives Tennessee sports fans a broad and deep array of markets and bet types, including live, in-game wagering."

The elite sportsbook, which is self-described as "America’s #1 Sports Book operator" also brings along some of the most secure and simple registration processes in the business and "a wide selection of options to deposit and withdraw funds." William Hill is generally viewed as a welcome addition to any legal sports betting scene and Tennessee is no different.

Looking Forward

The Tennessee legal sports betting industry’s trajectory looks as though there is no impending slowdown. TwinSpires and WynnBet are on their way to compete with the sportsbooks that have been doing the heavy lifting so far.

March Madness figures to provide the state with a big sports betting boost. Local teams like the University of Tennessee will be there. Memphis has a chance as well as Belmont and Vanderbilt. All eyes will be on the NCAA Basketball Tournament as yet another catalyst to an impressive Tennessee market.

With William Hill's launch in Tennessee, the state's sports betting market is nearly complete. With all of the Big Names in the industry having a presence in the Volunteer State, any worries about how the platform was launched has become a thing of the past.