The Sports Wagering Council has imposed fines on both Lowvig and Sportsbetting.ag. In the US, the Tennessee Sports Wagering Council (SWC) issued a penalty of $50,000 to each offshore sportsbook, Lowvig and Sportsbetting.ag, for illegally providing betting services in Tennessee. These companies did not follow cease-and-desist letters sent by the regulator in April.

Crackdown on Illegal Sportsbooks and Penalty Structure

According to the SWC, these companies bring the total to six and seven among illegal operations penalized so far. The SWC declared, “The main goal for us is removing unlicensed sportsbooks from Tennessee to keep betting safe and under control to protect the state’s interests.”

SWC mentioned that any company in Tennessee that helps offshore illegal sportsbooks may have to deal with criminal consequences. The Sports Gaming Act authorizes fines of $10,000 for the first violation when bets are taken without a license, $15,000 for a second offense, and $25,000 for a third violation. If violations continue to occur, each subsequent offense will result in a $25,000 fine.

New Consumer Protection Measures and Regulatory Updates

Mary Beth Thomas, the SWC executive director, said: “Tennessee is the biggest online-only sports betting market across the US, with more than $5 billion wagered this fiscal year, and licensed bookmakers in Tennessee must pass strict checks before they can start operations. Illegal sites, however, never provide these legal consumer protections; by using an unlicensed sportsbook, customers give away private and money information directly to criminals.”

The regulator has now published new sports betting regulations in the state of Tennessee. The rules take effect on June 30 and introduce multi-factor identification steps for many account actions, establish more rules for responsible gaming, and outline new processes for voiding or cancelling bets. These updates also cover changes to know-your-customer (KYC) requirements, the development of new standards for marketing and ads, and the introduction of other conditions as well.