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Sports-wagering council tightens KYC and geolocation rules; committee advances revisions
Summary
The Tennessee Sports Wagering Council presented rule revisions tightening know-your-customer verification and geolocation standards, clarified advertising language for a national problem-gambling hotline and adjusted internal-controls and dispute-resolution rules; the committee advanced the package.
The Tennessee Sports Wagering Council presented a package of rule revisions and the joint Government Operations Committee gave the revisions a positive recommendation.
Deputy Director and General Counsel Stephanie Maxwell summarized the changes as reorganization, technological updates and stronger consumer-protection measures. Maxwell said the revisions include stricter standards for know-your-customer (KYC) verification to ensure account holders are who they claim to be and over 21, and additional geolocation requirements "to make sure that the person who's trying to wager in Tennessee is physically here in our state." The rule revisions also strengthen operators' obligations to report and work with the council on suspected fraudulent or suspicious activity and clarify responsible-gaming messaging in advertising. Maxwell said the council had approved operators' use of a national hotline number, +1-800, for problem-gambling messaging because calls route to Tennessee's hotline when placed from inside the state.
Maxwell told the committee that the council is funded by licensure and registration fees and does not itself receive the privilege tax; under the current distribution, privilege taxes flow primarily to education and local government and a portion supports problem-gambling services. Committee members asked how the privilege-tax revenues flow and how recent legislative changes affect allocation; Maxwell said the treasurer administers privilege-tax collection and dispersal and the Education Freedom Act changes will slightly alter where education-related funds are directed.
Why it matters: The revisions tighten consumer verification, strengthen anti-fraud cooperation with operators and clarify responsible-gaming and geolocation rules for an industry that is fully online in Tennessee. The committee approved the package.
