After years of fighting to keep gambling out of sports, leagues are now intent on a big share of the action in US legal sports betting. And they’re using their leverage to demand a bigger role in shaping state and federal policy. In their pursuit of that goal, official data has emerged as a key issue. Essentially, leagues want sportsbooks to use only official data when making bets. This quest has supplanted the integrity fee as the leagues’ preferred method of getting their way in sports betting policy.
In baseball, full-game moneylines become official once a game is completed through 8.5 innings of play. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to MLB-specific rules for determining the outcome of bets that are affected by weather or other circumstances that shorten a game.
If a wager is deemed void due to the game being shortened, bets on the totals and individual inning totals are re-set. However, if the shortened game ends with a tie, the wager will be settled as a push and the bets will not stand.
While official betting isn’t yet a requirement for bettors in most states, it’s expected to become so soon as the industry continues to grow. For example, an Illinois law that went into effect this year requires sportsbooks to use official data for Tier 2 bets. The requirement is a concession the NFL has been willing to make as it seeks to shape US betting policy. The NFL is also working to develop technology aimed at tracking prohibited bettor activity, including identifying those who try to place bets from team facilities or while at their own homes.