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Tennessee and Kentucky will not have sports betting despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allows it. For now, a few dozen of internationally licensed sportsbooks will accept wagers on this year's World Cup. The recommended method for opening an online betting account is by using bitcoin and a cryptocurrency wallet.
*Bookmaker Welcomes Players From Around the World - Most Crypto-Currencies Welcome
WILL KENTUCKY OR TENNESSEE WELCOME SPORTS BETTING?
Kentucky legislators will already have missed the boat on legalized sports betting this session.
This is the state that years ago prompted the online gambling industry to descend upon Frankfort after former Governor Steve Beshear attempted to confiscate over 100 domain names from companies taking action from Kentucky citizens. Ultimately, the Court there prevented him from doing so.
There have been plenty of newspaper editorials in the state suggesting that legalized sports betting could help the state's deficit.
This is home, too, to Churchill Downs and they have expressed interest in offering sports wagering. Obviously, Churchill Downs has plenty of clout.
Alex Rankin, chairman of the board of Churchill Downs Inc., said in an interview with Kentucky.com before this year's Kentucky Derby that the casino and racing company is deeply interested in the prospects of sports betting.
"Obviously the regulatory environment has to change. It would be something we'd take a hard look at, and we're doing a lot of thinking about," said Rankin. "I think real-money gambling on the Internet (is) a subject we're paying great attention to. I would think, depending on how it sorts out, if it's a possibility we'd take a look at it.
The Kentucky legislature had its chance earlier this year to act on a sports wagering bill and did nothing.
"I told them so," said state Sen. Julian Carroll, D-Frankfort, when reached Monday about his bill to provide a framework for sports betting in Kentucky if the high court allowed it. "They didn't even take it up in committee."
As for Tennessee, State Sen. Brian Kelsey, R-Collierville was hoping to introduce legislation that would allow sports betting in the state with K-12 education reaping some of the benefits, according to the senator's Twitter account. That was mid-May, so far nothing. And there won't be any action until the next legislative session in 2019 the earliest.
Nashville Democrat House member Jason Powell is on board though, making for a truly bipartisan effort.
"I am all for sports gaming and looking at those changes, but the fact remains that is just a small percentage of the revenue we can tap into if we allow casino gaming in the State of Tennessee," he told News 2.
Needless-to-say, Kentucky and Tennessee gamblers will need to rely on international websites to place all their World Cup bets.
HOW TO USE BITCOIN AND OTHER CRYPTOCURRENCIES FOR BETTING THE FIFA WORLD CUP
The online betting site will simply have you send them the special address/token obtained from the Bitcoin wallet or exchange.
You would select either SEND (to deposit funds) or RECEIVE (to withdraw funds).
Some exchanges allow customers to link directly with their bank accounts or PayPal. The Bitcoin can be converted into the currency of your choice then transferred into your account in as little as 24 hours.
You will want to verify all your information (including personal identification) with the exchange prior to sending and receiving funds. Typically they will suggest setting up an authenticator on your mobile device for added security.
- Aaron Goldstein, Gambling911.com
