In football betting, official betting is a type of bet that is placed on the results of specific matches. This type of bet is not allowed by the FA and carries serious sanctions. Those who place these bets are in violation of the FA’s Betting Code of Conduct, which prohibits bribery and match-fixing. Those who are associated with clubs at the lower levels of the men’s and women’s league systems and match officials at FA Level 4 or below, are banned from making such bets. This includes those who work in coaching or management roles for teams. They also cannot advertise or promote betting activities. The code also bans players and staff members from offering or accepting a bribe to fix a match, as well as anyone who attempts to offer or accept such a bribe or attempt to induce another person to break the rules.
In the United States, sports betting became legal after the Supreme Court struck down PASPA in 2018, and more than 30 states now allow wagers. New Jersey is the top US market for sports betting with more than half of the country’s handle, followed by Nevada, Pennsylvania, and New York. But other states are growing quickly too, including Florida and Maine.
Massachusetts is now live with legal sports betting and launched on January 31 at three in-person locations. The state also has an online site and permits bets on in-state professional and collegiate teams. Its sportsbooks have been a success so far.
Connecticut’s sportsbooks launched in 2021 and were very successful at the outset. The state is aiming to be a major sports betting destination, though it has had some issues with its technology platform.
Illinois has a new law requiring bookmakers to use official data from the major sports leagues in the state. The legislation defines “official data” as statistics, results, outcomes, and other information related to a sport or sports event that is obtained through an agreement with a governing body of a particular sport or sports league whose corporate headquarters are located in the United States. The law also prohibits bookmakers from using any other source of data that is not official or is not a tier 1 data.
Michigan and Minnesota are both currently undergoing technological upgrades to their sportsbooks, and both will soon be able to offer bets on the big five pro and college teams. The states are also working on their regulatory structures and will likely be able to offer sports betting within the next few years.
In California, there were two major propositions on the November ballot that could have opened the door to legal sports betting in the state, but both were heavily voted down by residents. It’s unclear if the issue will come up again in 2023. Meanwhile, the state’s Native American tribes have been able to operate retail sportsbooks for some time under their gaming compacts with the Department of Interior. This is an alternative to a legislative path and one that has worked successfully in other states.