The NBA has announced a deal with Genius Sports and Sportsradar to distribute real-time, official in-game data to sportsbooks.

"We feel strongly that official NBA betting data provides the best experience for our fans," NBA vice president and head of fantasy and gaming Scott Kaufman-Ross told ESPN. "We want all legal operators to be using official data, and this framework ensures that there is a competitive marketplace for it."

The NBA says the value of the official data feed lies in its reliability and transmission speed, which is critical for the growth of live in-game betting.

United Kingdom bookmakers say more money is bet during a game than before it.

"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," Sportradar U.S. president Matteo Monteverdi told ESPN.