After decades of fighting legal sports betting, US leagues are in a race to control and profit from state-regulated wagering. They haven’t lost sight of their years-long anti-gambling stance, but are now focused on the idea that they can protect player safety, prevent problem gambling and ensure the integrity of sport competition. Ultimately, they want a piece of the action on every bet placed in a legal market. Whether they are seeking an integrity fee or an official data mandate, leagues are now front and center in the conversation on how states shape their sports betting laws.

PURDUM: The leagues are doing a 180-degree pivot on their position on this, going from fighting it all the way to the Supreme Court, and now they’re embracing it. You see them partnering with bookmakers, you’re seeing betting odds and lines and point spreads infused in sports coverage, where they were kept out of the spotlight before.

Connecticut launched sports betting in 2021 and expanded its offerings in 2022, including adding online sportsbooks. The state allows bets on both pro and college sports, although player prop bets in collegiate games are prohibited.

Pennsylvania’s law includes a provision requiring the use of official league data. Regulators in the state are able to impose restrictions on data sources, but must do so on commercially reasonable terms. Indiana’s sports betting law likewise gives regulators discretion to limit or restrict data sources, but the state has yet to impose any rules.