The term official betting refers to wagering that is regulated by the sports betting industry. This includes bets placed through a bookmaker, which are typically monitored for integrity concerns and vetted to ensure the payouts are accurate and prompt.

The NCAA is concerned that the growing prevalence of sports betting threatens the health and well-being of student-athletes, the integrity of college athletics, and the ability to teach responsible gambling habits. According to a 2021 survey by Morning Consult, 25% of Americans over 21 had bet on sports in the past year. The NCAA has taken several steps to prevent integrity issues, including an e-learning module that was launched in 2021 and a network of partners to monitor sports betting and other integrity concerns.

ROTT: ESPN’s David Purdum has been covering the gambling industry for a long time, before and after the Supreme Court ruling that legalized sports betting. How has that changed things for him?

Purdum: Well, it’s gone through a major transformation. It’s really interesting. The NFL, which fought this all the way up to the Supreme Court, has done a complete 180 and now has multiple sportsbook partners – MGM, Caesars, DraftKings, FanDuel – there are sportsbooks inside of stadiums now. There’s one at Wrigley Field, for instance. It’s really changing the game. There’s more transparency, there are more bets on the games. The amount of money being wagered has gone up exponentially. It’s a big business now.