After a pivotal Supreme Court ruling last year, 34 states and the District of Columbia now offer legal sports betting. While many professional sports leagues remain opposed to the practice, a growing number have made official betting partnerships. In this article, we take a look at what that means for the average fan and how it could affect team and individual performances.

Official sportsbooks are those that have signed an agreement with a league to offer bets on its games and to promote themselves to bettors. The NBA is one such league that has partnered with DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetRivers to provide betting opportunities for its fans.

In addition to promoting the availability of betting, these partners also work to ensure that all bettors understand the risks and are treated fairly. In order to place a bet, patrons must be located in a state or jurisdiction where sports betting is legal and be over the age of 21.

Additionally, the leagues’ official data is essential in making bets that are fair to all parties. Having the leagues’ data as the last word on in-game situations provides a level playing field for both bettors and bookmakers. This is especially true for in-game bets, which are the fastest-growing segment of sports betting. In these instances, the difference between a run that is scored or not is often based on just a few yards of movement by the ball carrier. This is a critical difference that can be the difference between winning and losing bets.