As long as it’s legal in their state, sports fans can place bets on anything from how many yards a quarterback will throw in a game to who will catch the first touchdown. However, there are some things that bettors should know before placing a wager.

Official betting is when bets are placed on events that the league has officially sanctioned, such as a game between two teams, or an individual player. Unlike regular wagers, bets on official games must go through the league’s approved betting partner and are subject to a number of rules and regulations. In the United States, this includes a prohibition on seeking, offering or accepting a bribe to fix a game, or providing inside information for betting purposes.

In addition, anyone associated with a team at the lower levels of men’s or women’s league systems is banned from betting on those teams’ games, as well as any WBSC competition in which they participate. This includes players, club staff (including coaches and managers), tournament officials, and ownership or executive positions.

The NBA’s stance on official data and integrity fees has been a major talking point for the industry. The league argues that it needs to protect its intellectual property when legal sports betting begins, which would explain why it is seeking a cut of every bet in US markets. However, the industry views such mandates as plain bad policy because they force private operators into commercial deals with the leagues while giving one party what amounts to a monopoly on data.