Online Poker in Tennessee – Is It Legal?

Whether you’re honing your skills as a beginner in some cash games or want to participate in some tournaments with your veteran skills, the most popular sites for online poker in Tennessee cater to all levels of expertise. In addition, you’ll be greeted with a generous welcome bonus before deciding from a great range of buy-ins at Tennessee online poker sites.

Our online poker site experts have detailed the crucial information about playing online poker in Tennessee while ranking and rating these sites, thus giving you a broader view of which operator best suits you. 

Continue reading to learn about the best online poker sites in Tennessee, the networks they operate alongside, the rakes and fees, site traffic, software quality, and why the top three sites received their top rating from our devoted team of reviewers.

The Best Online Tennessee Poker Sites 

Ultimately, choosing which Tennessee poker site is the best will depend on each player’s preference. However, there’s nothing wrong with a helping hand, and that’s precisely what our team of experts is here for. 

In a bid to reveal the best Tennessee online poker sites, our team is made up of industry insiders, poker players, and gaming software connoisseurs. They’ve played with all of the operators available in TN and reached a conclusion based on multiple factors such as customer service, bonus offerings, site security, banking methods, and payout delivery time, as well as how operational each site is and the variety of poker games.   

Based on our extensive reviews, the top three ranked sites below are the most diverse, operational, trustworthy, and reputable operators for an online poker experience in Tennessee: 

  1. BetOnline – The best overall online poker site in Tennessee    
  2. Bovada – One of busiest poker rooms in Tennessee with loyalty rewards
  3. Everygame – Excellent rakeback and multiple tournaments at this TN poker room

Tennessee Online Poker Sites Reviewed  

During our efforts to discover the best Tennessee online poker sites, we’ve broken down our top picks into the three best and wrote a short review on each operator. Behind countless years of experience and frequent manual testing, our experts believe the following three sites are unmatchable in the online poker services they offer to Tennessee residents.

1. BetOnline: The Best Online Poker Site in Tennessee

BetOnline Poker

BetOnline towers above the competition regarding the upper echelon of Tennessee online poker sites. Behind an extensive selection of tournaments and cash games are noteworthy welcome bonuses, various poker-specific features, speedy payouts, and unique features like “Bad Beat.” BetOnline is not just the best online poker site in Tennessee; it’s also one of the most trustworthy and respected sportsbooks, racebooks, and casinos, boasting more than twenty years of experience for added peace of mind. 

New customers receive a generous 100% poker welcome bonus of up to $1,000 if you use BetOnline promo codes, which is released in $5 increments for every $50 you pay in rake. This bonus is excellent to give you twice as much bang for your buck, but the regular promotions with this operator also cater heavily to poker players. “Bad Beat” provides a growing jackpot for the table, which can be won when your hand is a Four of Kind, Deuces or higher. They also added regular promotions such as the “25 Days of Poker,” which celebrated the Christmas season by gifting players with the opportunity to win their share of $50,000 in cash rewards. 

The poker software at BetOnline isn’t neglected and is updated regularly to ensure its customers receive a top-quality experience. One of the most recent updates includes anonymous observation, which allows players to keep their identities undisclosed unless seated or in a group view. Furthermore, the algorithm has been programmed to improve multi-entry seating, and the navigation system was recently been enhanced. 

With more than 20 poker tables to choose from, variety is never a worry at BetOnline with sit & go’s, Razz, Stud, Omaha, and Multi-Table tournaments, to name a few. Moreover, these tables are run through leading software providers like Connective Experience under the Chico Poker Network. The traffic at BetOnline is exceptional, as players will never struggle to get involved in a game. More importantly, the games are lag-free on desktop computers and mobile systems alike, thus allowing customers to enjoy a hand of poker or play some slots from any device they wish.   

BetOnline presents one of the most popular poker rooms in Tennessee. While it’s under the tutelage of Chico Poker Networks, this came as no surprise, as they’re one of the most well-respected online poker operations in America. Buy-ins can be as low as 1 cent, but high-rollers can also find significantly larger staked games. Poker tournaments at BetOnline include Sunday Majors, Nightly Monsters, and the $1 Million Windfall. There’s a range of progressive bounties, SNGs, Omaha tournaments and re-buy frenzy tournaments.

Pros:

  • Poker jackpots as high as $200,000 
  • More than 30 variants of poker and video poker titles 
  • One of the best poker sites for cash games
  • $1,000 sign-up bonus

Cons:

  • Fees on certain banking methods   

2. Bovada: One of the Busiest Online Poker Rooms in Tennessee with Loyalty Rewards

Bovada Poker

Bovada can match the traffic of BetOnline as the busiest poker room in Tennessee. For this reason alone, you already know you’re in good hands. With fast payouts and various banking options, customers can enjoy an excellent welcome bonus and a VIP loyalty program. The popularity of Bovada Poker is probably thanks to the PaiWangLuo network – the busiest online poker network in the U.S., as well as taking assistance from Ignition Poker and Bodog. Players can benefit highly from this high traffic and liquidity when utilizing Bovada’s poker services, and there’s $1.5 million in weekly guarantees for good measure. 

The poker welcome bonus at Bovada is worth up to $500, which is released through their loyalty program, rather than relying on one of Bovada’s promo codes. Every time you collect 150 Reward Points via the payment of fees and rake, your account is funded with $5 in bonus funds. The funds can be helpful for tournament entries and more. Players will also earn Reward Points throughout their time in Bovada’s poker room and exchange them for bonus credits. 

Poker tournaments at Bovada are a huge attraction, as the $150,000 guaranteed event and $100,000 guaranteed high-roller tournaments gain a lot of traction from players. Additional tournaments include SNGs, turbo tournaments, quick seat tournaments, fast-fold tournaments (Zone Poker), and the Monthly Milly. Players can also remain anonymous to nullify HUDs. 

Our expert team enjoyed Bovada’s modern but easy-to-navigate interface. This operator also accepts customers from over 45 states, including the Volunteer State, and you’ll discover a wide variety of skill levels and budgets to meet your level of play. Customer service is available 24/7, and should you need to take a break from the poker tables, you can access its remarkable online sportsbook, casino and racebook with the same account.

Pros:

  • Fast cash withdrawals  
  • Guaranteed $1.5 million in weekly tournament winnings  
  • Weekly tournaments with $10k prize pools 
  • Rewards Points system
  • Busiest poker network in Tennessee

Cons:

  • Welcome bonus could be higher 
  • Higher rake than some competitor sites

3. Everygame: Excellent Rakeback and Multiple Tournaments

Everygame Poker

If rakeback is vital to your online poker experience, you won’t find a greater offering than with Everygame Poker. They pay 36% of your rake straight to your account, and that’s just the beginning. Customers can begin life at Everygame with an excellent sign-up bonus, consistent promotions, a loyalty rewards system and various blinds to choose from. While the traffic isn’t as high as BetOnline or Bovada, there’s still a plethora of reasons why people opt for Everygame over the competition. 

New customers can take advantage of a 200% bonus of up to $1,000, as you’ll receive $5 for every 80,000 or so Frequent Player Points earned. Points are allocated based on the number of hands you partake in. These points will also continue once the bonus is finalized, as they’re turned into Gold Chips, which can be exchanged for alternative bonuses like site credit; what’s more, Everygame awards $400 to the player with the most points every week. There’s always a new and tempting promo code for Everygame, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled. 

Everygame operates under the Horizon Poker Network, and you’ll find Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and more games to choose from. As previously mentioned, Horizon isn’t a competitor regarding site traffic compared to BetOnline and Bovada; however, they still present a respectable volume of players. Blinds can be as low as 2 cents, and there are high-stakes tournaments. 

This operator is a market leader in rakeback with great bonuses and year-round promotions, they pay customers in full and on time and present a level of site security that’s forever kept its users safe.

Pros:

  • 200% Online Poker Bonus of up to $1,000 
  • 36% Rakeback
  • Tournaments for all poker levels 
  • Poker Points rewards system 
  • Regular promotions

Cons:

  • Lower traffic than some competitors 
  • Limited anonymous tables 
  • The software could be updated

Is online poker legal in Tennessee?  

While playing online poker in Tennessee is legal, there are no local operators. The Volunteer State legalized online sports betting but didn’t permit operators to provide online casino or poker services within the state borders. There are no physical casinos in Tennessee, so players wanting to partake in an in-person game of poker would need to travel outside the state.

There is, however, no law preventing Tennessee residents from going online, registering with an offshore poker site and playing in tournaments and cash games, or even betting on sports. You can rest assured knowing you’re within your legal right to play at an online poker site such as the top-rated and reputable operators highlighted on this page. These offshore establishments own gaming licenses outside of the U.S. This factor should give players ease of mind, as they’re regularly reviewed and put under inspection by international gaming boards. 

Video Poker  

Video poker is available for Tennessee residents who register with one of the trustworthy and reputable offshore casinos we’ve recommended in this guide. You can discover various video poker titles by navigating to an operator’s online casino section at these gambling sites. Game variety will vary from site to site, and some offer more than 10 options from triple draw, five, or ten draw poker. The RTP (Return to Player) percentage on these video poker titles is high. Still, a skill level can be implemented, so apply and research an online video poker strategy. 

Players will also find virtual table poker with our top-rated sites. From 3 Card Poker, 5 Card Poker, Caribbean Stud, Mississippi Stud and Texas Hold’em. These games work under a random number generator and require little skill. However, you can always play traditional poker at a table such as Hold’Em or Caribbean Stud at the live dealer rooms with some of these Tennessee online casinos.  

Casual Poker  

It’s entirely within your right to host a casual game of poker with friends or family at your home in Tennessee.

However, planning these games can be time-consuming and stressful. You’ll need to decide which game you want – Hold’em, Omaha, 5-Card Draw, for example – as well as the blind schedule, re-buys, and buy-ins, who handles the cashouts, how the pots are divided, as well as other considerations. You’ll need to buy a table, chips, and cards and perhaps assist your drunk friend at home.

Avoid the stresses and invite your friends to sign up with one of the best Tennessee online poker sites, where you can join a game while playing together on your laptops or mobile devices. 

History of Online Poker in Tennessee 

January 2021: Tennessee becomes the first state to offer online sports betting exclusively, with no physical retail locations, as they launch their online sports betting platform.
November 2020: Tennessee launches their sports betting market with four online sportsbooks available for consumers to use.
May 2019: The Governor of Tennessee, Bill Lee, approves a bill legalizing online horse race betting within the state.
April 2019: The Tennessee legislature passes a bill to legalize online horse race betting, pending the governor’s signature.
2016: Tennessee legalizes daily fantasy sports within the state.
2015: Tennessee repeals the Racing Control Act.
2004: Tennessee sells its first lottery tickets.
2003: Tennessee legislature passes a bill creating a state lottery that includes both in-person and online ticket purchasing options.

Tennessee Poker Laws

Land-based casinos are absent in Tennessee; there are no card rooms, and your sole option is to travel hours out of state. State law prohibits operators from providing online poker rooms in TN. However, the law doesn’t stop poker players in Tennessee from registering with an online poker site based outside of the country. Just be sure to sign up with a trustworthy and reputable Tennessee online poker site that pays its customers and presents high traffic and liquidity. 

How to Pick the Best Online Poker Sites in Tennessee   

Playing online poker in Tennessee with one of our top-rated and trustworthy operators provides a wealth of advantages:  

Time & Convenience  

Tennessee residents need to drive out of state to play real-life poker. It’s much simpler to fire up your laptop or mobile device and begin playing with one of the best online casino sites. Plus, you’ll save a lot of money. 

Bonuses 

The top-rated Tennessee online poker sites like Bovada, BetOnline and Everygame give customers plenty of opportunities for bonus money. Offers include welcome bonuses, rakebacks, loyalty points and regular promotions. You will not find these at brick-and-mortar casinos or card rooms. Such bonuses and promotions can boost your long-term profit.

Technology

Modern technology allows you to enter an online poker room instantly. You can even play two poker games while remaining anonymous at sites such as Bovada and BetOnline. These perks are impossible in a physical poker card room.  

Game Choice   

The sheer amount of poker game variety at an online site isn’t matched by land-based casinos. What’s more, these games are accessible 24/7. Players can register with a top Tennessee online poker site and begin choosing from a vast selection of games and tournaments.

Playing Poker in Tennessee 

We’ve already highlighted the top five Tennessee online poker sites and reviewed their services. Test them all if you’re still undecided on which site best suits you. By registering with our top five recommend operators, you’ll also reap the rewards of x5 welcome bonuses and various other bonuses/promotions. 

For those looking for sites with the best traffic, Bovada is the busiest poker room in Tennessee. Everygame is perfect for players wanting low-stake options and lucrative freerolls, while BetOnline ticks many boxes, and it’s also one of the most-visited sportsbooks in the U.S.

FAQs – Tennessee Online Poker

Can you play online poker in Tennessee?

The only forms of gambling that are locally regulated in the state are online sports betting and the state lottery. Online poker players have to use offshore sites to play real money games online.

Can I play PokerStars in Tennessee?

Online gambling platforms like PokerStars are not legal, only online sportsbooks. Even DraftKings Casino is unavailable, while sports betting and daily fantasy sports are allowed, however, offshore sites offer real-money poker games to Tennessee players.

Can you use a VPN to play online poker?

It can be tempting to use VPNs for gambling; however, because offshore poker sites accept players in Tennessee without any restrictions, it is not necessary to use a VPN to access them.

Is playing poker for money illegal in Tennessee?

Under the current gambling laws in Tennessee, it is illegal to host real money poker games in your own home and there are no licensed casinos in the state. Because offshore poker sites are not bound by U.S. gambling laws, they can offer online poker games in TN.

Is there live poker in Tennessee?

No, Tennessee has yet to make poker legal and there are no licensed casinos in the state. Instead, residents in the state opt for online poker websites.

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