How a Data Service Can Help a Sportsbook Become a Legal Sportsbook

A sportsbook is a gambling establishment that accepts bets on the outcome of a sporting event. A legal sportsbook must be licensed by the state in which it operates and follow the rules of that jurisdiction.

In the United States, the Supreme Court overturned PASPA in 2018, making sports betting available to any state that chooses to regulate it. As a result, sportsbooks are now legal in 38 states. Some are online only, while others are brick-and-mortar establishments.

Sportsbook operators must also adhere to responsible gambling laws. This requires them to offer tools such as betting limits, warnings, timeouts, and other features that help players control their gambling habits. But these tools must be easy to use and effective – otherwise they won’t be used by most customers.

While the vast majority of sports wagers are placed on games that have already happened, bettors can also place futures bets. These are bets that have a long-term horizon, such as a bet that a team will win the Super Bowl next year. These bets are available year-round, but the payouts are usually much lower than bets on current events.

Betting odds are an essential part of sports betting, and the oddsmakers at a sportsbook must be able to understand and interpret them to make informed decisions about how to price their bets. They must also know how to track customer behavior and develop incentives that keep them engaged. This is why a robust data service like OddsMatrix is so important for sportsbook operators.