News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Fentress County approved allocating its portion of online sports betting revenue to the highway department.
The county will receive $1,980 from the first quarter of The Sports Gaming Act. County Executive Jimmy Johnson said he expects the revenue to increase over time.
“We’re expecting right now probably to receive maybe up to $10,000 a year,” Johnson said. “Which is not a lot but it’s more than zero, so there you go. Of course it will go directly to our highway department.”
The highway department requested the money from the county for paving and purchasing asphalt. Johnson said the county wanted to help with roads in any additional way it could.
“This year some of the fuel taxes were down, your gasoline taxes were down, your diesel taxes were up,” Johnson said. “That just shows you that people during the COVID stayed home and didn’t travel a lot in their vehicles. But your other trucks they kept on going, so there was a loss but not quite as much as we thought there would be but with this money going to them it will help them in someway, do something.”
Johnson said the county will review where it allocates sports betting money every two years. Johnson said the sports betting revenue can only be used on infrastructure projects.
“We may get several thousands of dollars and if we can find uses to continue to put it all there, may separate it in someway,” Johnson said. “But as of right now it’s all going to the highway department.”
Tennessee online sports betting launched on November 1, 2020.
The Sports Gaming Act is expected to generate more than $7 million dollars for local governments in its first full year. The revenue is divided between all 95 counties, based on population size.
