The legality of official betting is a hot topic in the United States. With the US Supreme Court ruling in favor of sports betting in 2018, a number of state legislatures have moved forward with plans to legalize the activity.
The battles for control over data and what data is required have emerged as the primary front in this policy debate. In the meantime, a slew of commercial relationships have bloomed with the leagues and real-time sports data providers.
Leagues seek to monetize their data by requiring operators to pay them a share of the wagers placed on the teams they cover. This quest for data mandates has supplanted the integrity fee as the preferred mechanism for leagues to profit from legal sports betting in the US.
There are currently 32 states that offer some form of legalized sports betting. While four of these have not yet launched, the number is set to increase rapidly in the coming years.
In-play betting is also becoming increasingly popular in the US. These bets allow bettors to place wagers on the current state of play, which is often more exciting than betting on the outcome.
Live betting is incredibly popular in the NFL, as bettors can place wagers on changes in the scores during the course of a game. There are also many different types of bets available on this type of game, including spreads, moneylines and totals.
The laws governing sports betting vary on a state by state basis, but most allow bets on college games as well as major pro sports. It is a good idea to check your local laws before placing any wagers, however.