When it comes to legal sports betting in the United States, there’s a lot to consider. For starters, many states have different stances on the subject. Some aren’t moving forward at all, while others have decided to jump on the bandwagon as soon as possible.
One of the biggest questions surrounding legal sports betting in the USA is whether or not it will include mandates for official league data. This has become a hot topic among both sports fans and bettors alike.
Using Official Betting Data
While the concept of empowering sports leagues to control US sports betting data flow has been around since the fall of PASPA, legislative mandates have only recently made an appearance. These laws, which are currently in place in Tennessee and Illinois, require to-be licensed sportsbooks to use only “official” data for live in-play wagers.
There’s no shortage of ways to bet on a game, from totalizators (where odds change in real-time depending on how much money is wagered on each outcome) to point spreads and moneylines. During football season, Sundays are by far the most popular day for action.
Why Are State Mandates for Official Betting Data a Bad Idea?
While official league data has been proven to be valuable in other parts of the world, it’s unclear how much value it can deliver in legal US sports betting. Ultimately, operators and their bettors will determine how much data is worth. Until the leagues and their distributors prove the value of their data, lawmakers should not force them to use it.