With sports betting becoming legal in more states, fans are eager to place bets on everything from how many yards a quarterback throws in a game to who will catch the first touchdown of the game. However, there are a number of things to keep in mind when placing official bets, which are known as props. These bets are based on a variety of factors and can be extremely profitable if the player makes the right decisions.
While the NFL doesn’t prohibit players from gambling on its own games, they are prohibited from betting on any sport that has an NCAA-sanctioned championship. This means that college athletes cannot bet on most sports, but professional athletes can. The NFL educates its players on this rule at the start of each season and requires them to sign a statement acknowledging the league’s gambling rules in their contract.
The NBA also doesn’t allow its players or employees to place bets on its own properties, including the NBA Summer League, WNBA, Basketball Africa League and NBA2K League. But if players are in a jurisdiction where sports betting is legal, they can bet on any other sport. This includes Super Bowl squares, NCAA tournament brackets and fantasy sports.
NASCAR drivers and team members are also banned from betting on races, but they can bet on other sports if the wager is made in a legal location. The league sends out memos to its drivers and employees reminding them of this policy. Anyone who violates MLB’s betting rule can be permanently banned from the sport.