Official betting refers to the various ways in which sportsbooks offer odds for the different outcomes of a game or event. Odds are an important tool for sports betting, as they help bettors determine the most likely outcome, the potential return on winning bets and which side the public might be backing just by studying the numbers. Sportsbooks often provide their odds directly to media companies, which then publish them, making it easy for bettors to find the betting information they need. Sportsbooks also form partnerships with sports leagues, which allows them to use the leagues’ official data in their oddsmaking and live betting products.
After the Supreme Court overturned PASPA in 2018, several states passed laws to legalize sports betting. The first states to do so were Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey. Almost immediately after these sites went online, more states began drafting bills to allow sportsbooks.
New Hampshire became the second state to legalize sports betting after its legislature approved the practice. It rolled out in December 2019, with retail and online sportsbooks available to residents. The New Hampshire Lottery partnered with DraftKings to offer its online sportsbook, and it is the only site offering sports betting in the state. New Hampshire prohibits betting on in-state college teams, and player prop bets are prohibited.
The state of California was expected to join the ranks of legal sportsbooks, but voters rejected two major ballot propositions in November 2022 that would have made it so. The state is still considering legalizing sports gambling in the future.