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The Tennessee Sports Wagering Council (SWC) has announced that Sportzino, a social casino and sportsbook brand operated by Blazesoft, is no longer active in the state. In a notice released today (Sep 18), the SWC stated that Sportzino has halted its “sports-related sweepstakes operations” in Tennessee following the issuance of a cease-and-desist order to the platform.
Launched at the end of 2023, Sportzino aimed to combine social casino gaming with free-to-play sports predictions and esports, offering users access to over 1,000 games. Many of these games resemble traditional casino experiences, such as slots, while also allowing users to make predictions on a variety of major sports.
Second state to push Blazesoft in 2025
Blazesoft, the parent company behind Sportzino and several other brands like Fortune Coins, Zula Casino, and Yay Casino, is facing scrutiny across multiple states.
Tennessee’s actions mark the second time in 2025 that a state has moved against the company. Earlier this year, Blazesoft was named in a class-action lawsuit in New York, where it was accused of illegally offering real-money online casino games through a dual-currency sweepstakes model, despite claiming to be free-to-play.
The SWC highlighted in its statement that players should be careful of platforms offering casino games or chance-based wagers, as they are definitely licensed to operate in the state.
SWC not taking any chances in largest online-only betting market
The SWC remains committed to eliminating unlicensed online betting operators, as it looks to protect the state’s position as the largest online-only sports betting market in the country.
As part of its ongoing efforts, it previously issued cease-and-desist notices to operators like Legendz and Bovada, both of which later exited the state. Bovada ceased operations in Tennessee last November, while Legendz pulled out in April of this year.
The council has also imposed fines totalling $600,000 on 12 illegal sportsbooks so far. July saw it issue fines to several unlicensed operators, including BetOnline, based in Panama and Costa Rica-based BetAnySports, for a combined $200,000.
Council hoping to partner more with AG’s office
The SWC is also looking to strengthen its partnership with the Attorney General’s office to ensure that fines against illegal sportsbooks become “fully enforceable judgments.” This will allow them to recover assets that authorities may identify in their enforcement efforts.
“Offering sports wagering in Tennessee is a taxable privilege, and we’re exploring every tool available to us as regulators in our effort to shut down illegal sportsbooks,” said SWC Executive Director Mary Beth Thomas in the Sept. 18 release. “Licensed sportsbooks offer critical consumer protections that unlicensed operators do not, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners in this effort.”
Additionally, the council has raised concerns this year regarding prediction markets like Kalshi, Robinhood, and Crypto.com, which have been offering sports contracts. In April, Thomas reached out to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), urging the regulator to “respect the policy decisions made by the Tennessee Legislature and not permit the offering of sports events contracts.”
Source: SBCAmericas
