Official betting refers to legal wagering on a sports game that is subject to a regulatory framework in a state where sports betting is legal. This includes wagering on a professional football, basketball, or baseball game as well as a number of other events.
In the US, sports betting was previously illegal under the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), but it was overturned by the United States Supreme Court in May 2018. Since then, more than 20 states have legalized sports gambling through legislation or executive action.
The NFL is the most popular sport for betting in the United States. In fact, Sundays are the biggest day for sports betting in America.
As a result, sportsbooks offer many different games and betting lines to bettors. However, the most popular betting lines are those based on the final score of the game.
A number of states are beginning to implement official betting laws, including Tennessee and Illinois. These laws include mandates for the use of official league data.
The leagues have been lobbying for mandated use of official data as a way to make money off sports betting. They are hoping that a direct revenue stream from sports betting will be sufficient to overcome their decades-long opposition to gambling.
This quest for official data mandates has supplanted the integrity fee as their preferred method to make money off of sports betting.
In the past few months, the NBA and MLB have lobbied in Tennessee to add official data mandates into their state’s sports betting law. The proposal is a controversial one and drew fierce opposition from regulators and lawmakers alike.