Since the beginning of professional football, the media has included sports gambling without calling it that. For example, sports movies usually feature underdogs beating favorites, and the National Football League injury report details all players’ injuries and chances of playing. Because the spread on a game is so important, the announcers would make wink-wink remarks about late-game touchdowns. Today, though, the media has embraced sports gambling, and the culture surrounding it has changed.
The simplest form of sports gambling is based on odds. In odds betting, you are assessing the probability of winning a particular event. For example, a $1 wager on the Miami Dolphins will win by two points. But, if the underdogs win, the bettor’s money will be paid out before the Super Bowl. Thus, you should shop around to find the best possible odds. However, it is vital to understand how the odds system works, as not all sportsbooks are created equal.
The legalization of sports betting in the United States was first made possible by the court decision in Murphy v. NCAA. In that case, the NCAA and the four major professional sports leagues, the NFL, NBA, and MLB, successfully fought state-level efforts to legalize sports gambling. The NCAA and the four major professional sports leagues fought state-level attempts to legalize sports gambling, and the NFL’s win in Murphy v. NCAA was a victory for sports betting in the United States. But it was not without its share of controversy.
