Whether you bet on professional football or horse races, there are plenty of official betting options to choose from. These include prop bets, which are closely tied to the game but are not directly connected with the outcome.

There are also bets that aren’t officially related to the game at all. These are often referred to as “off the board” bets. They are most commonly found on the opening coin toss and can be quite lucrative, but are generally banned.

The sports betting industry has been discussing official league data since well before the US Supreme Court overturned PASPA in 2018. Initially, the leagues began lobbying for a mandate on the use of this data.

While there are no mandatory requirements for the use of official league data, many states have incorporated it into their laws. Some states, like Illinois and Tennessee, require the use of official data for certain types of Tier 2 wagers, while others, including Nevada, omit it entirely.

Legalities

While the law does give regulators the ability to impose restrictions on official data sources, it’s unclear what they can do about private commercial agreements that allow operators to purchase official league data at competitive prices. Some distributors have privately suggested they may reevaluate their pricing practices if official data mandates become more widespread. In any case, the utility of official data remains in question, and there is little evidence to show it has proven to be a reliable source of betting information.