Tennessee Sports Wagering Advisory Council names new director

The Sports Wagering Advisory Council has named Mary Beth Thomas as its new executive director.

US.- The Sports Wagering Advisory Council in Tennessee has named Mary Beth Thomas as its new executive director. Thomas is currently the general counsel in secretary of state Tre Hargett’s office, where she was tasked with regulating fantasy sports and charitable gaming in Tennessee.

The advisory council is set to take over regulating sports betting from the Tennessee Lottery on January 1. Tennessee’s sports betting law passed in spring 2019, and the first bets were allowed in November 2020. The first full week of sports betting in Tennessee brought in a handle of $27m.

The Sports Wagering Advisory Council for the Tennessee Education Lottery (TEL) said the first week of activity from November 1 generated $509,000 in tax revenue for the state.

In August, Tennessee’s sports betting handle reached $144.5m, remaining even with July, according to the Tennessee Education Lottery and Sports Wagering Advisory Council. The pace of betting remained at $4.7m per day.

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