Dolly Parton is a Tennessee treasure. A transcendent performer and celebrity, she might be the best-known ambassador the Volunteer State has ever had.
As we continue to envision possible Tennessee online sportsbooks, we’re thinking one involving the Queen of Country Music and sponsored by Parton’s popular Dollywood amusement park in Pigeon Forge would make an excellent fit.
A half-century of hits and highlights for Dolly
Parton was born in a cabin near the Little Pigeon River in Pittman Center, TN. After graduating high school, she moved to Nashville in the mid-1960s, embarking on what has been a more than half-century career as a singer-songwriter.
Parton spent much of that time atop the country music charts where she has had No. 1 singles more than 20 times and holds the record for most Top 10 country albums with 43. Parton’s appeal and talent have always extended to other styles and tastes as well, as evidenced by her many crossover hits like “Jolene,” “Here You Come Again,” “9 to 5,” “I Will Always Love You,” and the Billboard No. 1 “Islands in the Stream” with Kenny Rogers.
Parton is also an accomplished actress. She earned acclaim for both comedic and dramatic performances in films like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and Steel Magnolias. In fact, Parton has won and/or been nominated for just about every entertainment-related award there is, including an Oscar, Grammy, Tony, and Emmy!
Dollywood and other ventures
Like Parton, the Dollywood theme park is also a Tennessee institution. It originally opened as Rebel Railroad in 1961. The park went through a couple of name changes, then Parton became an owner and renamed it Dollywood in 1986.
The family-friendly park has grown in size and popularity over the decades, adding numerous attractions and hosting music concerts and festivals as well as other events throughout the year. Today the park covers 150 acres in the Great Smoky Mountains with more than 40 rides, several theaters for music concerts and shows, and lots of restaurants, bakeries, and shops.
Parton is a noted philanthropist as well, starting and helping many charities over the years. Her Dollywood Foundation literacy program sends one book a month to children from birth to the time they begin kindergarten. Recently the Foundation sent out its 100 millionth book.
Most recently Parton donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University to help those researching a cure for COVID-19.
Other Dolly Parton gambling connections
Parton’s long and varied career has intersected with gambling several times in the past.
A prolific and gifted songwriter, Parton wrote her classic “Kentucky Gambler” (a No. 1 for Merle Haggard) after hearing stories about her gambling grandfather. In 2012 Parton teamed up with International Game Technology to introduce a line of Dolly-themed slot machines. And, of course, in Texas hold’em the hand 9-5 is called the “Dolly Parton” thanks to her hit song and film.
Since Tennessee has no casinos or racetracks, the state’s new sports betting law allows any business to pay the license fee and apply to the Tennessee Lottery to launch an online sportsbook. Such connections along with Parton’s many previous entrepreneurial ventures make the Dollywood Online Sportsbook a natural fit.
Some suggested Dolly Sportsbook promos
The opportunities for various bonuses and promotions at the Dollywood Online Sportbook are endless. One song in particular supplies multiple ideas:
- Workin’ 9-to-5: A daily odds boost in which the payout is increased to 9-to-5 (+180).
- A Cup of Ambition: Earn a bonus bet when betting the moneyline on a 10-point or greater underdog in football or basketball.
- All Takin’ and No Givin’: Cash out a bet early to lock in a profit and ensure against losing.
Other bonuses and promotions that spring to mind include:
- Hello, Dolly: A deposit bonus, of course, recalling both the famous musical and Parton’s first album, Hello, I’m Dolly.
- Here You Come Again: All you’ve got to do is smile that smile to enjoy this reload bonus.
- The Dollywood Express: Named after the park’s popular train ride. Be fast enough to make three in-game bets during one quarter of a contest and earn a bonus bet.
Speaking of the rides at Dollywood, some of the others suggest additional promotional ideas:
- Mystery Mine: A bonus bet awarded every 100th time someone logs onto the app.
- Tennessee Tornado: An odds boost when betting on a football game in which the weather forecast calls for winds of 20 MPH or higher.
- The Scrambler: Place two pregame bets on the same contest, then at halftime choose one and cancel the other.
Dolly might not have been able to compete with Jolene. But we’re sure that in Tennessee a Dollywood online sportsbook would be plenty competitive.
