Official betting is a wager placed on the outcome of a sporting event based on established and verified data. It is governed by the rules and regulations of a particular sport and is often monitored by independent integrity monitors. These monitors work with the major sports leagues to ensure the integrity of their respective events and promote responsible gaming practices.

In baseball, for example, there is a rule that prohibits players, umpires and club and league officials from placing bets on games in which they have a duty to play or officiate. The league works closely with sportsbooks, regulators and independent integrity monitors to ensure compliance with these policies. In addition, the league conducts its own in-house investigations of any alleged rule violations.

Unlike traditional sports betting, where bettors place their bets with an individual bookmaker, legal online gambling is offered in some states and countries through regulated sportsbooks that are licensed by state governments and have been tested for fairness and security. These regulated sportsbooks have to adhere to strict standards that protect the consumer, and offer competitive odds on all events.

In Pennsylvania, for instance, voters approved legal sports betting in 2021, and retail sportsbooks opened in November of that year. In 2022, the state legislature passed a law that allowed for the launch of online sportsbooks, and SugarHouse, DraftKings and BetRivers all went live in the same month. The rest of the states began their own processes to legalize sports betting in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling.