Official betting is wagering that uses data provided by the sports league. This is a common feature in legal US sportsbooks, with major providers like FanDuel and PointsBet offering this type of betting. In the US, it is illegal to bet on a sporting event without official data. The American Gaming Association supports private commercial agreements for official data but opposes legislative mandates that force operators to use the data.

In the US, the concept of allowing leagues to control their own data in sports betting has become a political battleground. It began in February 2018, in advance of the SCOTUS decision that overturned PASPA, when leagues started lobbying states to include a mandatory official data requirement in their sports betting laws.

State lawmakers have taken a number of different approaches to their sports betting legislation, with some defining what is considered official data and others dividing bets into distinct tiers for the purpose of establishing the fee. This creates a legal gray area that may require further clarification in the future.

Individuals associated with clubs at the lower levels of the men’s and women’s soccer systems, as well as match officials at FA Level 4 or below, are banned from betting on any match in which they play or are involved. They are also barred from accepting or offering a bribe to fix a match or event within one. Other offenses, such as leaking inside information for betting purposes or seeking, offering or agreeing to accept an offer to fix a match, lead to a lifetime ban from the sport.