Most everyone likes to be the first at something. But that is not always a good thing!

As I was driving into town Wednesday morning, I was thinking about the potential fallout from the General Assembly passing the Sports Gambling bill and it almost brought me to tears. Yes I know: People ARE gambling, people WILL gamble, some people LIKE to gamble - both legally and illegally.

But that does NOT mean that the State of Tennessee should GET IN THE GAMBLING BUSINESS and promote more gambling! I don't care how you dress it up. Before someone tries to remind me that we have a lottery, I know that, but the lottery is different from being able to participate in interactive-only gambling on your cellphone or computer anywhere in Tennessee.

I believe that the passage of this legislation will open the flood gates for other types of legal gambling in our state and will be used to justify additional types of state-sanctioned gambling.

Mark my words, over time, we will rue the day this was passed and enacted. As I understand it, a number of well-paid lobbyists (some representing out-of-state companies) were hired to make sure that this bill was passed. They certainly were successful. The gambling world is all a twitter over what Tennessee has just done.

Tennessee Legal Sports Betting Bill Passes, Governor Will Let It Become Law

The Tennessee General Assembly on Tuesday became the first to pass interactive-only sports betting legislation when the Senate approved HB 1 (a substitute for SB 16), 19-12, just six days after the House passed it, 58-37. The bill would allow sports betting over the internet and via mobile apps, meaning consumers could bet from their phones or computers anywhere in the state, and that there will be no physical sports betting locations in the state.

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Sports betting passes Tennessee House of Representatives after debate over gambling

Legislation to legalize online sports betting in Tennessee passed Wednesday in the House of Representatives, despite a spirited debate from members worried about the the effects of gambling addiction.

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Tennessee Senate Passes Historic Mobile-Only Sports Betting Bill, Heading To Governor Soon

The state of Tennessee took a major step forward toward sports betting, with the Senate passage of a historic piece of legislation. The House passed its bill last week. The legislation cleared the Senate by a 19-12 vote. The House passed it 58-37. The legislation would make the Volunteer State the first state in the country with a mobile-only sports betting law.

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Tennessee Legislature Votes Yes On Sports Betting; Bill Heads To Governor

Lawmakers in Tennessee have sent a bill to legalize online sports betting to the governor. The Senate heard S 16 on Tuesday morning, adopting and amending the House substitute (H 1) and voting 20-12 in favor of passage. The House passed the previous language by a 58-37 vote last week and promptly concurred with the Senate changes. Just like that, the Tennessee Legislature becomes the fourth in the US to authorize single-game wagering this year. The fate of each proposal now rests in the hands of its respective governor.

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I am so grateful to Reps. Andy Holt, Jerry Sexton, David Hawk and Chris Todd, Sen. Mike Bell and a couple others, for standing and speaking so eloquently in OPPOSITION to this legislation and to the other 44 House and Senate members who voted against this proposal.

I guess now we will just have to wait and see what unfolds and how to deal with the fallout.

Blessings,
Bobbie Patray