Official betting is a form of sports wagering that involves betting on results regulated by the governing bodies of a sport. These rules are designed to protect both players and sportsbooks. Often times, the governing body of a sport will also take steps to ban teams from accepting bets from certain individuals. This is often done because of controversies, such as the 1919 Chicago White Sox scandal where Joseph Sullivan paid eight members of the team to throw the World Series. Other reasons for this are the risk of being accused of match-fixing and the sensitivity of the public to such issues.
Many sportsbooks offer prop bets, which are essentially bets that change the odds of an event based on specific events. These bets can include anything from an individual player’s performance to the total number of runs scored in a game. Generally speaking, the odds for these types of bets are higher than those on moneyline bets. The governing bodies of sports are especially concerned about the integrity of the sport and are in the best position to ensure that bets on games are placed on true outcomes.
After SCOTUS struck down PASPA, the NBA and MLB began lobbying to require state-regulated sportsbooks to use their official data in order to grade bets. This has created a rift between operators who want to avoid high fees and lawmakers who are concerned about the integrity of the sport. Some states, including Tennessee and Illinois, have included official league data in their laws. Others have opted to divide wagers into distinct tiers, allowing regulators to choose which data sources they prefer.