Sports Betting Laws and Official Betting
The sports betting landscape is changing rapidly, especially in states that opted to legalize the practice after PASPA’s demise. The various players — including sportsbooks, state lawmakers, casinos, state lotteries and tribes/tribal casinos — have competing interests that are playing out in real time. Some are embracing the new reality while others are taking a more measured approach.
One of the key issues is official betting, a form of a money line bet that includes both the total and the underdog’s price. The underdog is the team that the bettors think will win the game and the total is the sum of all runs scored during a particular game, including extra innings. The odds listed are the official lines at the time the bet is placed unless there’s a change in starting pitcher.
In baseball, for example, the sport’s rules against gambling essentially outlaw any player, umpire or club or league employee who places any bet on a game in which they have a duty to perform. People who violate the rule are permanently banned from Major League Baseball and can’t be admitted to the Hall of Fame unless they’re reinstated by a subsequent commissioner.
The following rules apply generally to Sponsor-sponsored daily, round and seasonal contests in the Perfect Picks game (the “Contest”) on B/R Betting. In addition to these general rules, individual Contests may have additional or different terms and conditions. Details for each Contest will be announced within the Game, on B/R Betting social media channels and/or on the Bleacher Report app.