The NBA has announced an agreement to provide official data to licensed sportsbooks to help them set in-game betting odds, writes David Purdum of ESPN.
The partnership, which is the first of its kind with a U.S. oddsmaker, will give Genius Sports and Sportradar nonexclusive rights to create betting data pertaining to the NBA and WNBA. Both companies have worked closely with the NBA in the past, Purdum adds.
“We feel strongly that official NBA betting data provides the best experience for our fans,” said NBA vice president and head of fantasy and gaming Scott Kaufman-Ross. “We want all legal operators to be using official data, and this framework ensures that there is a competitive marketplace for it.”
Live in-game betting is already common overseas and is gaining popularity in the United States, according to Purdum, who notes that United Kingdom bookmakers say they receive more bets during games than beforehand. The NBA believes the speed and reliability of its official data will help provide more accurate betting odds.
“We see the market evolving more and more toward live betting, and having the ability of providing reliable, accurate and timely information to the [bettors] is absolutely crucial,” said Sportradar U.S. president Matteo Monteverdi.
Previously, the NBA issued its official data only to international bookmakers in areas where sports betting is allowed by law. The American market was opened by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in May that struck down a federal law limiting state-sponsored sports betting primarily to Nevada. Seven states have opened legal sportsbooks since that case was decided.