This includes the likes of the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL. All bets are settled on the final result of the sport’s governing body.This section will cover the majority of general sports betting rules, explaining how they work and what they mean. General Sports Betting RulesĮach sport at the top sportsbooks will have a specific set of rules that we will expand on later in this guide, but any not covered fall into a “general” rules category. This guide will walk you through a series of sports betting rules you must familiarize yourself with before betting online. There are multiple reasons as to why, but it’s mainly down to the unpredictability of sport and the need to cover their backs when things don’t play out as intended. Sportsbooks come with a host of rules attached.