The governing bodies of team sports have an interest in ensuring that bettors are laying money down on actual results and not skewed data. This is the concept behind official betting, which is a requirement for bettors in states that have legalized sports gambling. The rules involving official betting are fairly straightforward, although there are a few things to keep in mind.

First, the definition of “official” in this context is based on how a market settles. Player markets and other statistically dependent markets are settled when the game is final and all relevant statistics are available via the league’s official website or a certified data provider. Any subsequent statistical changes will not cause a re-settlement of those markets.

Second, the rules governing official betting are very clear about what individuals are and are not allowed to bet on. Specifically, any MLB employee (including players, coaches and managers), tournament official or anyone with an ownership, executive or management role with a multisport competition that is sanctioned by the MLB cannot place a bet on a game that is occurring in a WBSC competition.

Iowa passed sports betting legislation in 2019, and retail and mobile options went live in 2021. DraftKings, PointsBet and Caesars are the top betting options in the state. In-person sportsbooks can be found at a few casinos. Online and mobile sports betting apps are available at several other sites.