Official betting is a form of gambling on a football game that is monitored and policed by the Football Association (FA). If you attempt to match fix or breach FA betting rules or pass on inside information you could face an FA charge. The FA and the Gambling Commission have sophisticated systems in place to monitor betting markets for signs of illegal activity and can investigate a range of evidence including itemised phone bills, betting account statements and bank records. You can also be charged if you are caught in breach of the betting rules if you are found to have placed a bet on a match that has already finished.

New Jersey was one of the first states to launch sports betting following the Supreme Court ruling that struck down PASPA. The state began offering retail and online betting in 2022, with eight sportsbooks now operating in the Garden State. Among them are DraftKings, FanDuel, PlaySugarHouse and BetRivers.

Legal sports betting is now available in Colorado, where voters approved a constitutional amendment authorizing the practice in 2021. The state’s initial retail and online rollout took place in September, with sites such as DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars and BetRivers going live.

The state of Iowa is another early mover, approving sports betting in 2022 and then launching its first sportsbooks in 2023. The online rollout was delayed because of a lawsuit from the sports leagues, but the books are now live.

In Kentucky, sports betting launched in April 2022 and is now legal across all 55 counties. Its online offerings started in May, with SugarHouse and BetRivers among the first to go live.

Maine has taken a slower approach to legal sports betting, but it began accepting wagers in October 2021 through its retail and mobile bookmakers. A month later, the state’s sportsbooks became available through its iGaming compact with tribal casinos. Licensed operators include DraftKings, PlaySugarHouse and Caesars. The state is expected to offer additional options in 2023.