Official betting is a wager placed using data that has been verified by a sports league. This data is then used to grade bets and determine action on a particular event. In the United States, state lawmakers have varied opinions on the issue of requiring official data. Some have opted for a tiered approach, requiring the use of official data for Tier 1 sports wagers, while others are simply allowing sportsbooks to use their own verification systems.

Sports wagering is more popular than ever before in the United States, and many professional athletes are at risk of violating their league’s gambling policies. This can result in fines or even suspension. In fact, the NFL has suspended seven players and at least one coach in connection with alleged betting activities in the last five years alone.

The NHL’s collective bargaining agreement forbids players, coaches and team employees from placing bets on any game within the league. However, there is no explicit policy in place that prevents them from betting on non-NHL events. In addition, the NHL constitution and the league’s rules of conduct forbid players and staff members from seeking or accepting a bribe to fix a game.

A bet on a team to win or lose by a certain amount of points is called a moneyline bet. A bet on the total number of points scored in a game is known as an over/under, and can be made on both single games and multi-games. A bet on the first or second place finisher in a race is known as a straight bet, while a combo bet on multiple outcomes is referred to as a parlay.