House Bill 1885 and Senate Bill 2136 aim to address the growing issue of illegal online gambling in Tennessee, particularly focusing on online sweepstakes casinos that disguise themselves as legal gaming platforms. The bill introduces a new part to the Tennessee Code Annotated, specifically defining terms related to online gambling and explicitly prohibiting the operation, possession, or promotion of online sweepstakes games and other forms of online gambling. It empowers the attorney general to investigate violations and enforce penalties, which include civil penalties for non-compliance with requests for information related to unlawful gambling activities.

The bill also amends existing laws to enhance the attorney general's authority in investigating and prosecuting illegal gambling activities. It includes provisions for confidentiality of records obtained during investigations and clarifies that violations of the new gambling prohibitions will be treated as unfair or deceptive acts under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act. Additionally, the bill makes several amendments to existing sections of the Tennessee Code, including the deletion of certain language and the substitution of terms to ensure consistency and clarity in the enforcement of gambling laws.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 47-18-104(b), 47-18-104, 40-2-102(a), 40-2-102, 4-49-204(a)(6), 4-49-204, 4-49-206(b), 4-49-206, 4-49-208