Official betting refers to the process of placing bets on events and teams in professional sports. This form of betting is regulated and legal in many countries, including the United States.
The National Football League (NFL) is by far the most popular sport in the United States, with its Sunday games attracting the most bettors. Most top-rated online betting sites will have NFL offerings for their customers.
MLB is also a big sports betting market, and the National Hockey League has also begun to offer betting options. Several of these clubs have partnerships with bookmakers and have access to in-play data.
Major League Baseball is committed to responsible gaming. It is an official partner of the American Gaming Association’s Have A Game Plan. Bet Responsibly public service campaign, which teaches fans to bet responsibly and educates them on the risks of gambling.
In addition, MLB has an expanded partnership with the National Council on Problem Gambling to help educate sports bettors and reduce the risks of gambling addiction.
Leagues are looking to control the flow of US sports betting data, and ideally, they want to monetize that data through a direct share of wagers placed. They want this via a data mandate that limits the number of sources licensed to purchase official league data.
The leagues’ quest for control of US data has supplanted the integrity fee as their preferred mechanism to profit from sports betting.
The leagues are in the middle of a spirited battle for control over data flow and what data is required to be provided, a fight that has shifted the balance of power in state policy toward them. This is especially true in states like Tennessee and Illinois, where official league data is a mandated part of their sports betting laws.