Official betting is a form of gambling on sporting events that is regulated by state governments. In the US, sportsbooks are legally authorized to accept bets on a wide range of professional and college team events, including football, basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer, and more. While some states have maintained a firm stance against the industry, others have jumped right in to launch their first official betting markets as soon as possible after legalization.

Basically, betting on a sport involves placing a wager on an outcome of a game or event and getting paid if that outcome occurs. This can be as simple as putting money behind a favorite to win the game, or it can involve placing multiple outcomes in one wager, such as an “if bet.” The odds, which are shown in American, decimal and fractional formats, indicate the probability of the winning outcome and how much an individual would win by making that bet.

In addition to standard bets on individual games, players can also place futures wagers. These can include tournament outrights (e.g. Denver Broncos to win Super Bowl) or regular season totals (e.g. Brooklyn Nets O/U 67.5 wins). Alternatively, players can choose player prop futures, which are bets on specific player performance over an entire season or career.

In order to ensure integrity, the following is a list of prohibited activities: Seeking, offering or accepting a bribe to fix a match or any event within a match. Also banned are the provision of benefits to a person to facilitate a fixing offense or any other illegal activity.