In sports betting, official betting refers to wagers placed on games that are sanctioned by the sport’s governing body. These bets are usually made available in-person and online at legal sportsbooks. They can be placed on all kinds of events in a game, such as total points, spreads, and parlays. Many of these bets also focus on individual player performance. Sports governing bodies are working hard to ensure that fans can place responsible wagers, which includes beefing up in-house technology and deploying security personnel to monitor betting activity.
In addition, the code prohibits anyone from seeking, offering, accepting or agreeing to accept a bribe to fix a match or event within a match, as well as misuse of any inside information that could reasonably be used for betting purposes. Additionally, players are prohibited from betting on WBSC competitions in which they are participating, including any collegiate baseball and softball events that take place at the Olympic Summer Games. This prohibition extends to anyone who works directly for a national team, as well as their coaches and managers.
Sports betting was legalized in Ohio in 2021 and launched officially in January 2023, with both in-person and mobile sportsbooks available. Collegiate sports betting is allowed in the state, but player prop bets are prohibited. In 2022, a proposition was on the ballot to make sports betting legal in California, but it was heavily defeated by voters. It is not known whether the issue will be reintroduced in 2023.
