Jan 17, 2019 He wants to know, in a country where gambling on fantasy football leagues and office pools is accepted as part of our culture, why he was hit with felony charges and jail time.
A betting pool, sports lottery, sweep, or office pool if done at work, is a form of gambling, specifically a variant of parimutuel betting influenced by lotteries, where gamblers pay a fixed price into a pool (from which taxes and a house 'take' or 'vig' are removed), and then make a selection on an outcome, usually related to sport. In an informal game, the vig is usually quite small or non-existent. The pool is evenly divided between those that have made the correct selection. There are no odds involved; each winner's payoff depends simply on the number of gamblers and the number of winners. (True parimutuel betting, which was historically referred to as pool betting, involves both odds calculations and variable wager amounts.)
Betting pools are not connected merely to sports, as there are topics such as deaths and births which people can bet on. Death pools usually involve well-known individuals, such as celebrities and sports figures, which the participants predict will die within a certain period of time, with more points being assigned to individuals who are under the age of 80 years or appear to be in generally good health. On the other hand, birth pools involve individuals picking specific dates in which someone, who can be either a celebrity or friend, gives birth.[1]
History[edit]
Contestants predict the outcome of sporting events that take place at a later time. The concept was introduced in 1923 by Littlewoods Pools where it was known as Uri[clarification needed] and based on football matches.
- Jan 19, 2017 Notwithstanding that gambling on the Super Bowl is illegal, Allfer Funn should be wary of potential retaliation and hostile work environment claims from employees either excluded from or uncomfortable with office gambling. What happens if an employee snitches? The Texas Penal Code seems to offer “ testimonial immunity.”.
- Although office pools can deliver a boost in team morale to the workplace, companies can have a number of legitimate concerns: Liability. In most states, office pools are considered illegal gambling.
Sports Betting Globally[edit]
Today in England, sports lotteries are more commonly referred to as football pools. American sports lotteries often do not require contestants to purchase a lottery ticket or make an initial wager. Hockey pools are common in North America and footy tipping in Australia.
In the United States the most popular type of betting pool is the March Madness pools. Leading up to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, contestants will fill out brackets that predict who will win. It is estimated that 58 million Americans participate in the contest every year.[2] Mainstream media outlets such as ESPN, CBS, and Fox Sports host tournaments online where contestants can enter for free. Employers have also noticed a change in the behavior of employees during this time. They have seen an increase in the number of sick days used, extended lunch breaks, and even the rescheduling of conference calls to allow for more tournament watching.[3][4] There are also many handicappers and pundits which offer advice for winning your bracket.[5] Another popular type of betting pool is the college footballbowl game. Millions of people bet on the winners of all 39 bowl games, as of the 2014-15 football season, every year.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^'An In-depth Review of Betting'. SB Pal. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
- ^Boudway, Ira. 'The Legal Madness Around NCAA Bracket Pools'. Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
- ^'March Madness: Do you call a foul on gambling in the workplace?'. Ceridian. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
- ^Petrecca, Laura (March 15, 2012). 'March Madness in the Office: Work Come in Second'. USA Today. Retrieved 2013-07-21.
- ^Boudway, Ira (March 18, 2013). 'How to Win Your March Madness Pool'. Business Week. Retrieved 2013-07-21.
Disregarding for a moment whether or not the office might have a problem with it (they have no problem with NCAA brackets), it seems like at least some states don't have problem providing the pool size is small, and whoever runs it doesn't make any money from organizing it. Is this a fair interpretation? Also, if it is illegal, how come ESPN etc can run their fantasy leagues without recourse - do they have licenses to do so?
I've found articles re. other states, but none specifically re. VA. Any help appreciated!!
I'm thinking you should take Germany to go all the way.
posted by frogan at 12:58 PM on May 22, 2006
I want the Dutch to win, but they'll just break my heart again, so I'll second Germany.
posted by pdb at 1:17 PM on May 22, 2006
posted by inigo2 at 1:17 PM on May 22, 2006
More than a decade ago, Congress passed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which makes it illegal for a private person to operate a betting scheme based on competitive games in which professional or amateur athletes participate. . . . In states where office pools were legal before the passage of PASPA, such as Nevada, Virginia and Iowa, office pools are still legal.I can't find any other sources for the info though.
posted by smackfu at 1:28 PM on May 22, 2006
Virginia Code § 18.2-325 defines 'Illegal gambling' as follows:
1. 'Illegal gambling' means the making, placing or receipt, of any bet or wager in this Commonwealth of money or other thing of value, made in exchange for a chance to win a prize, stake or other consideration or thing of value, dependent upon the result of any game, contest or any other event the outcome of which is uncertain or a matter of chance, whether such game, contest or event, occurs or is to occur inside or outside the limits of this Commonwealth.
The plain language of the statute suggests that your pool would be illegal. This article seems to think so, too.
But this bizarre press release from the Fairfax County, VA Police Department notes that 'March Madness is synonymous with ... NCAA brackets and the office betting pool,' and says that '[i]n Virginia, gambling is illegal when someone other than the gambler, such as a gambling operator, makes a profit.' That suggests that if you do not make a profit it is not illegal.
Obviously, this does not conclusively answer your question, but hopefully it gives you a start.
[all lawyer disclaimers here]
posted by AgentRocket at 2:58 PM on May 22, 2006
Check out the Unlawful Internet Gambling Funding Prohibition Act (S.627, 108th Cong.), notably section 5361 (I)(E)(viii)(III).
As defined by this, betting or wagering does NOT include 'any participation in a simulation sports game, an educational game, or a contest, that offers a prize or award to a participant that is established in advance of the game or contest and is not determined by the number of participants or the amount of any fees paid by those participants.'
As far as I can tell, ESPN's tournament pools fall into this category. I've never taken part in their paid fantasy sports though, so I don't know how exactly those work.
posted by sellout at 3:33 PM on May 22, 2006
And your post reminded me that I've got to get something going at the office soon!
Usually, the modalities were something like this:
1) you bet on every single game, including Togo vs. Trinidad & Tobago;
2) the wager is, say, a buck per game, possibly more for second round and after;
3) if someone gets the result (i.e. win, loose, draw) of a game right, he gets the pool for that game only;
4) if noone gets the result right, the pool stays, accumulating to a jackpot,
5) if someone gets the exact score (e.g. 2:0) of the game right, he gets everything, including the accumulated jackpot,
6) if more than one person wins, the win is evenly divided.
What are your rules?
Also, I think this is legal, because there's no bank, and everything is done in good fun and by amateurs.
In any case, even if it's technically illegal, nobody will care. Unless, of course, you start an internet site called www.wcbets.com and pocket 10% of the wager.
posted by sour cream at 4:08 PM on May 22, 2006
posted by wackybrit at 4:09 PM on May 22, 2006
Are Office Gambling Pools Illegal California
No, because choosing a bracket is not a test of skill in the same way as, say, poker (which is why you're more likely to find poker rooms than casinos with slot machines in non-Vegas non-Indian reservation settings). Despite a complete lack of knowledge of World Cup soccer, you could just fill out a bracket randomly and win it all. That's chance, not skill.
posted by frogan at 5:02 PM on May 22, 2006
Are Office Gambling Pools Illegal Games
Illegal Gambling Cases
Are Office Betting Pools Illegal
How does one plan a world cup trip?? A group of...June 13, 2011
Stanley CuppertunityJune 11, 2010
Are there any good scoring systems for running a...March 14, 2007
How do I run a simple online NCAA Tournament pool?March 13, 2006