General information, not financial, investment, legal, tax or betting advice · Prediction markets carry risk of loss · 18+ or the legal age in your region
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Prediction Market Index/Legality/Tennessee
Legality

Are prediction markets legal in Tennessee?

A neutral, dated explainer on prediction market legality in Tennessee, where the Sports Wagering Council ordered platforms to stop sports event contracts and a federal court temporarily blocked enforcement. Information, not legal advice.

By Fredrik FilipssonFounder and editor · Two decades in advisory, hospitality and mediaEditorial review by Morten Andersen · Last reviewed 17 April 2026

Last reviewed 17 April 2026 · Status as of April 2026 · Information, not legal advice

Two layers of rules

Federal authority, state friction.

01
Federal oversight
Some event contracts trade on exchanges overseen by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. A federal appeals posture has generally favored federal authority over these designated markets.
02
State challenges
Several states have challenged operators, especially over sports-event contracts, through cease and desist letters and litigation. This is where most of the live friction sits.
03
Onchain and offshore
Crypto-native and offshore venues operate outside the US framework. Their standing for US persons is unsettled, and we do not treat reachability as legality.
Generally available

US-regulated venues

Kalshi · rated 91/100
Available
Polymarket · rated 86/100
Available
ForecastEx · rated 80/100
Available
Crypto.com · rated 80/100
Available
Robinhood · rated 79/100
Available
Railbird · rated 74/100
Available
Novig · rated 74/100
Available
PredictIt · rated 59/100
Available
Not offered for real money

Offshore and onchain

Futuur · rated 68/100
Not available
Limitless · rated 62/100
Not available
Myriad · rated 60/100
Not available
Drift BET · rated 57/100
Not available
Zeitgeist · rated 54/100
Not available

Availability is indicative and can change, and individual states may restrict specific products such as sports-event contracts. Confirm the current position with the platform and a qualified professional before acting.

FAQ

Tennessee, in short.

Are prediction markets legal in Tennessee?

It is contested. In January 2026 the Tennessee Sports Wagering Council ordered operators to stop offering sports event contracts, and a federal court then temporarily blocked the state from enforcing that order against a leading operator. The question was unresolved as of April 2026.

Is sports betting legal in Tennessee?

Yes, through licensed operators. Tennessee permits online only sports betting regulated by the Tennessee Sports Wagering Council. That is a separate, state regulated route and is not the same as a prediction market.

What did the state order say?

The council sent cease and desist orders to several operators, demanding they stop offering sports related contracts to Tennessee residents, void pending contracts, and refund customers by a stated deadline, and it warned of civil penalties for continued operation.

What did the court do?

A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking the council from enforcing its gambling statutes against a leading operator while the case proceeded, with a further hearing scheduled. That paused enforcement but did not finally resolve the legality question.

Why is there no compare module on this page?

Because the legal position is contested and under active litigation. We only show a compare or sign up path where a platform is genuinely legal and available to you, so we hold it here until the position is clear.

Keep reading
Legality hub
US legality, state by state
All ratings
Every platform, scored
Market guides
The categories, explained

Sources and further reading in Tennessee

The status above reflects the federal framework and the state position as we read them. These change, so verify the current rules before you act.

Status as of April 2026. General information, not legal advice.