Gaming law is generally the law that applies to the gaming or gambling industry, including casinos, lotteries, horse racing, dog racing, sports betting, card games, table games, social gambling, bingo, raffles, slot machines, scratch tickets, etc. Gaming law includes state and federal statutes, rules, and regulations—and legal principles from traditional areas of law, such as contract law, administrative law, constitutional law, criminal law, and regulatory law. For example, the federal statute prohibiting illegal gambling businesses is located at 18 U.S.C. §1955.
In Tennessee, gaming law is restrictive compared to many other states. The state does not permit commercial or tribal casinos, and the only forms of legal gambling are the state lottery, certain charitable gaming activities like raffles and bingo, and wagering on horse racing. However, Tennessee does allow online sports betting as of 2019, making it one of the few forms of online gambling that is legal in the state. The Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation oversees the state lottery and regulates sports betting operations. The federal statute 18 U.S.C. §1955, which prohibits illegal gambling businesses, applies in Tennessee as it does nationwide, reinforcing the state's limitations on gambling activities. It's important to note that while some forms of gambling are legal in Tennessee, they are subject to strict regulations and oversight to ensure compliance with both state and federal laws.