Official betting is a form of sports wagering that uses the data provided by a sports governing body to settle bets. The data can be used by permit holders to determine the outcome of tier 2 bets on professional sports events. A sports governing body can notify the department of its desire to provide official league data for such purposes by using forms and procedures prescribed by the director.

It is important to take into account the team’s statistics and advance information about injuries and suspensions when placing a bet. It is also advisable to use official streams from betting providers rather than public TV broadcasts or live matches. This is because the broadcaster is usually a few seconds behind the bookmakers when accepting bets, and this can make a difference to the odds of winning a particular bet.

The National Hockey League, for example, has a partnership with William Hill for betting. The NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights have also signed sponsorship deals with betting companies that include in-game data. Other teams in states with legal betting have similar partnerships.

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s PASPA ruling, states have moved quickly to introduce sports betting. Pennsylvania was one of the first, with retail and online betting opening in November 2018. It had 14 online sportsbooks and more than 170 sportsbook locations as of early 2023. Arizona legalized sports betting in April 2021, and its online operations launched in September of that year, with SugarHouse, DraftKings, FanDuel and BetRivers among the initial sites.