Official Betting in the United States
Official betting is when the sportsbook partners of an organization team up to promote, facilitate and oversee bets. These partnerships often involve advertising, sponsorships and other forms of brand integration. In the United States, several major leagues have official betting partnerships. For example, the NBA has a deal with William Hill to provide real-time data and betting lines for games. The NHL has a similar partnership with MGM Resorts International. Major league baseball, meanwhile, has a strict rule against gambling by its players and staff. The rule, known as “Rule 21”, is displayed on dugout walls and states that “No player, umpire, club or league official or employee shall bet any sum whatsoever on any game in connection with which he has a duty to perform.” People who violate this rule are banned from the game and are also permanently barred from the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The NCAA will advocate for updated state sports betting laws to protect student-athletes, address the negative impacts of problem gambling and preserve the integrity of college competition. The NCAA will use e-learning modules to educate current and prospective student-athletes on these issues, and will build upon the sport integrity monitoring program.
New Jersey moved quickly after the Supreme Court ruling and launched retail and online betting in November 2018. BetRivers, FanDuel, PointsBet and DraftKings operate legal sportsbooks there. New York passed legislation in 2019 and launched its sports betting in January 2022. New Mexico hasn’t passed legislation, but Native American tribes have been able to offer sports betting since October 2018, using their gaming compacts with the state.