Official betting is a legal form of gambling in which participants place bets with bookmakers who provide regulated odds and payouts. The rules vary widely between countries and regions, and are influenced by key directives and consumer protection laws. The regulatory landscape continues to evolve and the EU works to harmonize diverse laws.
In the US, sports betting is a rapidly growing industry that threatens to compromise the integrity of college athletics. A recent NCAA survey revealed that 27% of autonomy schools have dealt with a sports betting issue in the past year. Athletes are exposed to billion-dollar ad campaigns designed to promote irresponsible gambling habits, and the prevalence of sports betting threatens the health and well-being of student-athletes and college sports competition.
NCAA athletes are prohibited from placing bets on any sport that has an NCAA-sanctioned championship. The Charlotte 49ers educate players on their policies at the beginning of each season and require them to sign off on their understanding of those policies each year. Athletes are also sent reminders about each major sporting event throughout the year.
Futures are wagers on the outcome of a particular competition or tournament. They can be team or individual outrights (e.g. Denver Broncos +350 to win the Super Bowl, Novak Djokovic +600 to win Wimbledon), or regular season win totals (e.g. Brooklyn Nets O/U 67.5 wins for the season).
MLS players cannot bet on any MLS match, and MLS staff members are not allowed to place bets from their team facilities or at a venue where the NFL conducts its games. There are ongoing discussions on regulating sports betting in California, but it’s likely that progress will not be made until 2024.