For years, sportsbooks have offered odds on virtually every sporting event, whether it’s the final score or total attendance at a particular sporting event. But times change and the lines of acceptance grow wider.
In the last year, a number of states have passed laws limiting the kinds of bets that can be made. In some cases, sportsbooks are prohibited from accepting bets against the law or public policy. That has caused some bookmakers to cut back on their offerings of legal sports bets. Rather than fight this trend, most books have simply adapted and begun offering fewer – but higher-quality – sports betting options to the public. The end result is that while the number of legal sportsbooks has gone down, the overall quality has increased. To accommodate these changes, this article is an overview of the types of bets that can be made in legal sportsbooks and what the implications are for bettors.
Over/Under Values Betting
One of the first major restrictions that many states put in place regarding legal sports wagering is over/under values betting. For decades, this type of bet has been perfectly legal in every state and available at every sportsbook. But in the last year, a number of states have taken action to limit the bets that can be made in legal sportsbooks to only over/under values bets. Most notably, Nevada and New Jersey have prohibited all other types of bets. Specifically, Nevada’s betting limit is set at a per-team limit of 5% of the league’s total salary for that year. New Jersey’s law goes even further and prohibits multiple bets on the same event. These types of odds restrictions can be quite frustrating for sportsbooks that already offer this type of bet. In some cases, books will take a dim view of these types of wagers and won’t offer them at all. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to find them elsewhere. But it does mean that they aren’t offered as part of the regular betting lineup at these books.
Handicapped Betting
Another category of legal betting that’s fallen victim to the changing times is handicapped betting. Just a few years ago, handicapped betting was completely legal and available at every sportsbook. But in the last year, a small number of states have prohibited the use of handicaps in any type of wagering, whether it’s online or at the traditional brick-and-mortar location. Specifically, New York (online only), California, and Mississippi have all passed legislation that limits the use of computers and mechanical devices to making bets. These types of bets offer some distinct perks to bettors. For example, it’s often easier for handicapped people to gain access to special funds from their financial institutions to place wagers. In some cases, they may also be able to get better odds because the house edge is reduced. Still, these types of bets also have the potential to be more complicated and to require more explanation.
Goalie Interception
A related topic that’s come up recently is goalie interception. Just a few years ago, goalkeeper interceptions were commonplace and many books wouldn’t even offer them as an option. Now it’s become a much more specialized wagering option, reserved for some leagues (mostly men’s soccer) and is only offered at a handful of books around the country. Essentially, this is a bet that the goalkeeper will not allow the ball to reach the opposing team’s goal.
These types of bets have become fairly popular recently because they require relatively little explanation and are fairly easy for the casual bettor to understand. Still, these types of bets can be difficult to accurately and consistently predict. In cases where the goalkeeper is inexperienced and/or having an off-season, it can be very difficult to predict which team’s goalkeeper will best prevent the other team from scoring. In addition, there are a variety of situations where a goalkeeper can have the ball and not allow anyone to score (e.g., a shot blocks the entire goal or is saved by the goalie). In cases like that, it’s very difficult to accurately predict whether or not the opposing team will score. For all of these reasons, it’s not a bet that’s for the novice or casual sports bettor.
Team In-Form/Out-Form
Finally, some states have begun to prohibit books from offering bets on whether or not a particular team is in form. That is, whether or not they’re playing well at the time of the season that you decide to wager on them. In addition, a number of states have prohibited books from taking bets on whether or not a particular team will win or lose a certain game.
With most major sports leagues now having well over a month of the regular season, it’s the right time for you to consider placing a bet on whether or not your favorite team is in form and/or whether or not they’ll win or lose a game. Of course, you don’t need to limit your wagering to these two teams – it’s entirely up to you. The key point is that you should consider betting on whether or not your team is in form because it is a legal option in almost every state and because most teams have at least half their season left. It’s also a good idea to wait until the end of the season to place these types of bets – if you decide to place them at all.
Overall, What are the Implications for bettors?
Simply put, the implications for bettors are that it’s now more important than ever to do your homework and to make sure that you know which types of bets are available at which books. This is especially important if you want to place a bet on whether or not your team is in form or whether or not they’ll win a particular game. In these cases, it’s imperative that you check the different books’ websites to make sure that you’re aware of what types of bets are available there and which ones are not. In addition, it’s a good idea to contact the book’s customer service department to get information on how to wager on these events legally. They are usually very helpful and knowledgeable about the different types of bets available at their establishment. Finally, it’s important to keep in mind that many states and local governments closely regulate the types of wagers that can be made and the odds that can be offered at legal sportsbooks. For this reason, it’s often best to look for books that are based in states that have no restrictions on wagering or odds selection. Unfortunately, this is usually the case when comparing online and offline books. But for the most part, it’s an easy way to wager legally on your favorite sport.