When betting on sports, especially baseball, there are a lot of rules that must be followed. These regulations help prevent fraud, protect the integrity of the game, and maintain a safe environment for everyone involved. One of the most important aspects is official betting. This involves the grading of bets on teams and players as well as on specific game events. It’s important for bettors to know the details of this rule so they can make smart decisions about their wagers.
Generally, a bet on a team to win a game requires the total score of that team to go over a set number of points. In the case of a moneyline bet, the team must cover by a certain amount. For example, the Red Sox are -1.5 favorites against the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday. To cover a bet on the Red Sox, they must win by at least two runs. The same applies to a straight bet on the team to win the game. Should a game see extra innings, the final score is used for bet settlement.
For MLB player props, bets are considered official if the particular player meets the appearance requirement of the sportsbook (typically one pitch thrown for pitchers and one plate appearance for position players). If the required stat changes after the fact, it is possible that the sportsbook will offer a refund or uphold the initial outcome, depending on the nature of the change and its impact.
The department shall adopt regulations to require permit holders to provide official league data for the purposes of determining the results of tier 2 bets. Such data shall include statistics, information, and data relating to a professional sports event or its participants, and may be obtained from any source, including but not limited to, the Department’s official website.
Permit holders must cooperate with investigations conducted by the Department and sport governing bodies regarding prohibited person activities. This cooperation must include providing account-level betting information and audio or video files related to persons placing bets. Permit holders must also promptly report any suspicious activity to the appropriate sports governing body and law-enforcement agencies.
A permit holder shall not accept bets on a professional or college sporting event involving a team from a public or private institution of higher education that is located in the state of Virginia. This prohibition does not apply to wagers placed on a tournament or multigame event, where at least one participant is a team from a Virginia public or private institution of higher education.
In addition to the above requirements, the department has additional regulations for bettors in the Commonwealth. Among these are: