The term official betting refers to any bet that is settled according to the results outlined by a sport’s official governing body. This includes markets such as goal line bets, totals and accumulator bets. For outright bets on leagues or tournaments, the winner will be decided based on the official final table and any subsequent amendments such as points dedications. All head-to-head and match bets are settled based on the result of the full game including any extra time played, unless otherwise stated.
Prior to the Supreme Court ruling, the major sports leagues argued that legalized betting would threaten the integrity of their games and potentially lead to more attempts at fix – essentially compromising a game for gambling purposes. That has since changed, and the NFL is leading the charge with multiple sportsbook partners including DraftKings, FanDuel and Caesars, plus a sportsbook at its stadium in New Jersey.
In football, players and coaches associated with clubs at lower levels of the men’s and women’s league systems as well as match officials at FA level 4 or below are not allowed to place bets. This is due to the fact that such individuals are considered as being in a position where they could be influenced by betting interests and therefore subject to potential conflict of interest rules.
In baseball, bets are only officially settled once the final score is announced. This is done to protect the integrity of the game and also ensure bettors are aware of the outcome of the market they have backed. Bets placed on a game that is suspended for weather conditions or abandoned before the start of play will be void and stakes returned.
