The concept of official betting has emerged as one of the primary fronts in a new fight over US sports gambling. The term refers to leagues’ attempts to become the primary stakeholders in legal sports wagering, ideally through a direct cut of total handle. But short of that, they broadly support a mechanism allowing them to monetize official data. That quest has supplanted the integrity fee as the leagues’ preferred method to shape state and federal policy.
In baseball, a player or other member of a team who makes a bet in violation of the rules is banned from the game and may be permanently banned from Major League Baseball. The same rule applies to umpires and club or league officials. A permanent ban from baseball also disqualifies players from being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
A person who seeks to bribe another individual to fix a sporting event is guilty of a federal crime. The crime is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000 (€250,000). The FBI and other federal agencies have prosecuted a number of individuals under this law, including Joseph J. “Sport” Sullivan, who was the man behind the 1919 Black Sox scandal.
Colorado legalized sports betting in 2021 and has expanded its offerings since then, although bets on in-state collegiate teams are prohibited. The state is home to the first legal online sportsbooks. It also offers a variety of player prop bets. In addition, Colorado allows if bets, where the number of straight bets is joined by an if clause. The if bet wins if all the straight bets win.