The NFL and MLB Push For Official Betting Data Mandates in Sports Betting Laws
While some professional athletes are able to work out deals with sports betting companies to allow them to place bets, most cannot. This is because a number of the leagues consider it an unfair advantage to have players and coaches placing bets on their games. Moreover, many teams have policies against employees gambling while they are at the office or on business. This includes any time a player is on a company trip, in the hotel, or anywhere else outside the team’s facility. In addition, a player is not allowed to gamble while at home or with friends.
A bettor who is caught betting on a game or event that they are involved in, either as an agent or a player, will likely be kicked off their team. The reason for this is that the betting industry does not want people associated with professional clubs to be engaging in illegal betting. This is why most betting sites will not accept bets from players, coaches, or agents. The only exception to this rule is for players who are part of the women’s or men’s league systems, as well as match officials at FA Level 4 or below.
The leagues have long been against the expansion of legal sports betting in the US. They fear that the proliferation of legal wagering will lead to more attempts to rig games for gambling purposes. In light of this, they’ve fought tooth and nail against legalized sports betting, even though they know that it’s inevitable.
However, in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn PASPA, they’ve begun pushing for official data mandates in state sports betting laws. They want to force private operators into commercial agreements with them while granting them what amounts to a monopoly on data. Most industry players see this as bad policy.
Currently, only Tennessee and Illinois have legalized sports betting that requires the use of official data. But the NFL and MLB have been lobbying lawmakers to include this in their sports betting laws in other states. The leagues also tried to add the mandate in West Virginia, but lawmakers rejected the idea.
The leagues’ argument is that if they can control the flow of data, they will ensure that all bets are placed fairly. However, this logic is flawed. First, the cost of distributing official data is far higher than it would be for unofficial data. Second, the utility and reliability of official data has never been proven in the US market. The only way to know if it’s useful is to test it in a legal gambling market. Lastly, a handling fee (like the one proposed by lawmakers in Louisiana) would put an unfair burden on bookmakers, as it would increase their fixed costs while providing no guarantee of integrity that regulators seek to preserve. As such, it’s no wonder that most distributors are refusing to change pricing based on mandates. This stance is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.