Official betting refers to wagers that use data provided by a sport’s governing body. It has become front and center in the sports betting conversation as leagues seek a role as primary stakeholders in legal US sports gambling and profit from the activity, ideally via a direct cut of total wagers. This quest for official data mandates has supplanted the leagues’ earlier push for an integrity fee.

Baseball games are the only major American team sports that are frequently shortened due to weather. Those shortenings will affect bets on things like Over/Unders, Moneylines and other prop bets. Generally, any bets placed before the game starts will be void if it is postponed before first pitch. However, bets on the full game will stand unless the game is called after five innings or the home team leads after 4.5. Inning bets will also stand unless the game is called during that inning, in which case bets on that inning will be void since the official result will revert to the previous inning.

Players are prohibited from placing bets on NFL games while at team or league facilities or on the road with their teams, as well as on any NCAA-sanctioned event. Those rules are spelled out in each player’s contract, with current and former NFL players such as Indianapolis Colts safety Rashod Berry, Detroit Lions receiver Quintez Cephus and Arizona Cardinals defensive back Shaka Toney all receiving six-game suspensions for violating those rules this season.