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Sports Wagering Council asks committee for four positions, says funds can be reallocated from operations
Summary
Mary Beth Thomas, executive director of the Sports Wagering Council, told senators the agency needs four additional staff for investigations and compliance and that the positions could be paid by shifting roughly $800,000 of operational contract funds into payroll; she also provided revenue and spending-authority figures for the agency.
Mary Beth Thomas, executive director of the Tennessee Sports Wagering Council, presented the agency's budget request and operational overview to the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee and answered members' questions about enforcement and revenue.
"Our ask is for 4 additional positions," Thomas said, explaining the council needs more staff to handle licensing, compliance, and investigative work. She told lawmakers the council can cover costs by reallocating existing operational funds: "we're asking to move, some of our operational expenses and... it's by and large from a larger pool of funds that were dedicated to third-party contracts."
Thomas provided revenue and spending figures: she said privileged taxes since legalization have totaled about $412,000,000 to the State of Tennessee and that the council estimates total revenue next year of $8,160,000 with governor-recommended spending authority of $6,950,000. She told members the agency plans to return overcollections to Tennessee Promise and requested the committee review the budget at the top of next week's calendar.
Committee members pressed on whether shifting contract funds into payroll could limit technology investments, and Thomas replied the proposed reallocation is the council's operational judgment based on current needs.
