Illinois Police Set To Look The Other Way On March Madness Gambling

March Madness brings out the true gambler in most people across the US. Millions of people have filled out brackets and paid an entry fee into a tournament they hope they will win. The NCAA tournament is the biggest sports betting event outside of the Super Bowl.

Unlike the Super Bowl, however, law enforcement officials around the country are not actively seeking out those breaking the law by gambling. Illinois is a prime example of how many law agencies throughout the US view the NCAA tournament bracket pools.

"We aren't actively looking for these things," said Deputy Chief Theo Glover, as reported by RRSTAR.com, "Everybody does the office pool, and we would have to be omnipresent to find out who is doing it for money and who is doing it just for the enjoyment of being able to pick the winner."

Glover went on to say that if there is a complaint about a pool that is operating, his agency will look into the complaint and take the appropriate action. If that means arresting people, then so be it, but the investigation will only likely come after a complaint has been lodged.

The Federal government has taken no such stance. A letter has been sent out advising federal employees that is against the law to enter into these office pools. President Obama filled out a bracket on ESPN, but that was done for fun, not for money.

Although individual state laws differ on their interpretation of office pools, in most states any form of gambling where money exchanges hands in an unregulated way is considered illegal. In states such as Illinois, the offense is a misdemeanor.

March 18, 2010
Posted By Terry Goodwin
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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