The sports betting landscape is evolving faster than ever before. More than half of American adults now live in states that have launched regulated sportsbooks. But there are still a lot of questions about the process, including what happens to your data after you place a wager and whether your team’s actions will impact the outcome of your bets.

In order to bet on the games you love, you’ll need to know the rules of official betting. This article outlines the regulations and rules that are in place regarding betting on professional baseball, basketball, football, hockey, soccer, and auto racing events. It also discusses how to avoid a sportsbook scam and the importance of investigating each betting site before making a bet.

Rule 2: All in-uniform personnel of clubs, teams, or leagues are prohibited from placing a bet on a game that they participate in. This includes both full-time and seasonal employees. In addition, postseason officials are screened for gambling or sports wagering and may be ineligible if found to have engaged in such activity.

The infamous 1919 Black Sox scandal was a result of Joseph Sullivan, an MLB gambler and bookmaker who paid eight White Sox players—Oscar Felsch, Arnold Gandil, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Fred McMullin, Charles Risberg, George Weaver, and Claude Williams—around 10,000 dollars each to fix a World Series match. As a result, the players were banned from playing professionally forever. Seeking, offering or accepting a bribe to fix a game is a violation of the code and leads to permanent banishment from MLB.