Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility Jon Styf, Author at Baltimore Independent

Author: SHANNON NAJMABADI

Lee signs new Nashville hotel tax to help fund Tennessee Titans stadium along with two other bills

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed several bills into law on Wednesday that include an allowance for a 1% hotel-motel tax increase in Davidson County to pay for a new estimated $2.2 billion Tennessee Titans Stadium. Lee also signed a bill that will allow the Chattanooga Lookouts to collect 5.5% of the state sales tax at […]

Tennessee lawmakers approve sales tax deal for new Chattanooga Lookouts stadium

State sales tax funding for a new baseball stadium in Chattanooga was passed in the last week of Tennessee’s legislative session. House Bill 2609 was approved 79-11 by the House and 28-0 in the Senate. It would allow the Chattanooga Lookouts to move to a new stadium in the city and retain a sales tax deal […]

Tennessee Legislature approves Davidson County hotel tax to help pay for a new Titans stadium

A bill that would allow Metro Nashville to raise its hotel tax by 1 percentage point to help fund a new Tennessee Titans stadium passed both the Tennessee House and Senate on Wednesday and will move to Gov. Bill Lee’s desk for approval. A fiscal note on House Bill 681 said that it could amount to a $10 […]

Tennessee House passes bill to lower age for carrying handgun from 21 to 18

A bill that would lower the age to carry a handgun in Tennessee from 21 to 18 passed the House on Thursday. Bill sponsor Rep. Chris Todd, R-Madison County, said that House Bill 1735 is about protecting the constitutional rights of 18-year-olds who can vote and enlist in the military. The bill passed by a 64-28 vote. […]

$313M in February sports bets placed in Tennessee

Tennessee sportsbooks brought in more than $3 million in taxes for the state on more than $313 million in bets during February, according the Tennessee Sports Wagering Advisory Council (SWAC). The sportsbooks made $15.1 million in adjusted gross income after promotions on those bets, with $292.4 million in gross payouts. The SWAC previously said $23 million in bets were […]

Tennessee approves 3 new online sportsbooks

Sports bettors in Tennessee will have new options for betting after the board that oversees sports gambling in the state approved three more online sportsbooks Thursday. BallyBet, SuperBook and Gamewise were approved to operate in the state, bringing Tennessee to 13 approved sports gambling operators. TwinSpires, operated by Churchill Downs Interactive Gaming, recently announced during […]

World Cup won’t bring $700M economic impact to Nashville

Several sports economists who study the economic impact of sporting events believe a report showing a nearly $700 million economic impact for Nashville if it is selected as a host city for the 2026 World Cup was heavily inflated. Nashville was one of the first nine potential sites visited by FIFA, which is international soccer’s governing […]

Tennessee collects $3.3M in taxes on $340M in sports bets in December

Tennessee collected $3.3 million in taxes from the $340 million in bets placed at Tennessee’s sportsbooks in December, according to Tennessee data acquired by PlayTenn. December was the third-highest month for amount of bets placed since betting began in November 2020. In October, $375.3 million was wagered and $365.7 million was wagered in November. More […]

Tennessee highways rank 10th nationally in condition, cost-effectiveness

The cost-effectiveness and condition of Tennessee’s highways ranked 10th in the nation in the Reason Foundation’s Annual Highway Report. Tennessee ranked seventh in last year’s report. Tennessee’s worst rankings came in fatality rate (40th) and urban fatality rate (46th). “Tennessee’s 1.37 overall fatality rate is 20% higher than peer state Missouri’s rate, but slightly lower than […]

Six additional sports betting operators seek Tennessee approval

Six more sports gambling operators could be added to the eight already operating in the state, Tennessee Sports Wagering Advisory Council Executive Director Mary Beth Thomas said Thursday. The Sports Wagering Advisory Council, which met Thursday, took over regulation of the sports betting on Jan. 1 from the Tennessee Education Education Lottery and will be […]