A pair of Tennessee lawmakers want to block access to TN sports betting on college campuses, following a wave of NCAA betting scandals.
Senate Bill 1831 and House Bill 1768 would require licensed TN sportsbooks to restrict access on certain public college and university campuses and require those institutions to restrict betting access on campus WiFi networks.
Sen. Jeff Yarbro and Rep. John Ray Clemmons filed the companion bills on back-to-back days, following last week’s federal indictment detailing a two-years-long point-shaving scheme involving 39 players across 17 Division I men’s college basketball programs.
With the FBI detailing bribes of up to $30,000 per player to influence spreads, the scandal is one with the highest profile among over 175 NCAA betting violations since 2018.
TN sports betting kicked from campus
The bills would define “campus” broadly, including certain satellite properties within one mile of a school’s main contiguous footprint when used for residential or communal purposes.
They would also extend restrictions to off-campus sports venues used for sanctioned college events, requiring sportsbooks to block access for the entire calendar day of a game and requiring public universities to prohibit access through any wired or wireless network they operate.
The proposals would take effect July 1, 2026.
Nationwide college betting scrutiny
The Tennessee proposals arrive as regulators around the country revisit how legal sports betting intersects with college athletics.
NCAA President Charlie Baker last week urged state gambling commissions to ban individual college athlete prop bets and restrict other specialty wagers he said are vulnerable to manipulation.
Louisiana, Maryland, Ohio and Vermont have already adopted such bans, while Missouri regulators began weighing new restrictions Thursday.
Illegal betting enforcement proposal
Also filed Wednesday was House Bill 1885, a broader enforcement measure aimed at strengthening Tennessee’s ability to pursue illegal gambling activity outside the state’s licensed market.
Rep. Scott Cepicky‘s bill would designate illegal gambling and related conduct as violations of the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act, opening the door to possible civil enforcement tools beyond the criminal penalties already on the books.
It would also expand the investigative authority of both the Tennessee Sports Wagering Council and the Tennessee Attorney General’s office, to allow more direct investigations into unlawful gambling activity.
