TN Sports Wagering Council Fines Illegal Sportsbook BUSR

NASHVILLE — The Sports Wagering Council (SWC) fined illegal offshore sportsbook BUSR $50,000 for operating illegally in Tennessee.

BUSR failed to comply with a March cease and desist letter, and it is the fifth illegal operation to be fined by the SWC as the state agency continues its work to shut down illegal sportsbook operators in Tennessee.

In April, the SWC issued $150,000 in fines to BetUs, MyBookie and Xbet, and in November 2024 Bovada shut down after the SWC issued $50,000 in fines to the illegal offshore sportsbook. Earlier this month the SWC issued a cease and desist letter to the illegal offshore sportsbook Lowvig.

“Our mission is to protect the public interest of Tennessee through a safe and regulated sports betting environment, and we encourage any bettors using BUSR to withdraw their money immediately,” SWC Executive Director Mary Beth Thomas said. “In contrast to our legal sportsbooks, illegal operators do not offer any of the same consumer protections the law requires of licensed entities, and we will continue this important work to eliminate these bad actors from Tennessee.”

Tennessee is the largest “online-only” sports betting market in the U.S. with more than $4.8 billion wagered to date this fiscal year through online sportsbooks licensed by the SWC.

The Sports Gaming Act authorizes the Council to impose a $10,000 fine for the first offense of accepting wagers without a license, which rises to $15,000 for the second offense, and $25,000 for the third offense.

Subsequent offenses may lead to the imposition of a $25,000 fine for each occurrence, with an occurrence being a single wager accepted in Tennessee.

Bettors can always go to tn.gov/swac for a list of approved licensees and vendors. Illegal sportsbooks can often be identified by these factors, all of which are illegal in Tennessee:

* Extending credit;

* Wagering with cryptocurrency; and

* Offering casino games, such as slots or online poker, or chance-based wagers, such as the coin toss or the color of the, Gatorade.

Licensed online sportsbook operators provide important player protections not found in the illegal market, including protecting consumers, holding reserves to pay wagers and keeping personal information secure.

Licensed sportsbooks must also follow certain restrictions under state law, such as prohibiting individuals under 21 years old from wagering and refusing to allow wagering on credit.

About the Tennessee Sports Wagering Council
The Tennessee Sports Wagering Council’s primary role is to protect the public interest of Tennessee through a safe, regulated sports gambling environment. The SWC oversees the licensing and registration process for online sports wagering operators, sports wagering vendors, and fantasy sports operators. The state agency monitors and enforces compliance with the Tennessee Sports Gaming Act and the Tennessee Fantasy Sports Act and related rules, including the assessment of the State’s privilege tax on sportsbooks.