With legal sports betting now available in many states, it’s important for fans to understand the rules that govern betting on their favorite teams and players. Official betting is governed by the sports leagues, which have struck partnerships with bookmakers to create official wagering markets. These are not the same type of betting partnerships that some professional athletes have forged with betting companies. The official betting partners are meant to help sportsbooks provide accurate odds on games and be a source of information for bettors.
While sports betting is popular in some countries, it’s still banned in others. For example, betting is illegal in the US military, and gambling is outlawed in Saudi Arabia. However, betting is growing in popularity in many other parts of the world, including Africa, Asia, and Latin America. This has created a global market with different rules and regulations.
The NCAA is concerned about the rise of sports betting and its impact on college athletes. A survey conducted by the NCAA in 2023 found that 27% of autonomy schools had dealt with a student-athlete sports betting problem within the past year. It also found that 58% of 18- to 22-year-olds report having engaged in a betting activity. The NCAA warns that these activities can be harmful to the health and well-being of students and jeopardize the integrity of competition.
New Jersey’s attempt to deregulate sports betting was blocked by the major sports leagues, which claimed the state was not exempt from the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. The leagues won a lower court ruling and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed it. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case.
When it comes to baseball, the MLB has rules that prohibit players, coaches, and staff from placing bets on games. Anyone who violates these rules is permanently barred from the game. In addition, if an MLB player, umpire, or club or league employee places a bet on a game that he or she has a duty to perform in, that person is also permanently barred from the Baseball Hall of Fame.
While the NBA has a similar rule against sports betting, it allows its players to bet on other sports as long as they’re not in an area where it’s against NBA rules. The Charlotte Hornets tell WCNC that they educate their players on the NBA’s policies several times a year and have someone dedicated to all sports betting matters. MLS players are also allowed to gamble on other sports, but they cannot bet on MLS matches or soccer in general.
The NFL has signed multi-year agreements with Caesars Entertainment, DraftKings, and FanDuel to become official betting partners. These partners will be able to leverage the NFL’s trademarks in sports betting and engage with fans through retail and online sports betting offerings. The partnership will also give the league the right to sell official data to its betting partners. This data is particularly helpful for in-game betting, the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. sports betting industry.