Madison -- Notice to all office sports pool organizers: Your contests might one day be played out in the open.
Sen. Jeff Plale (D-South Milwaukee) has introduced SB 188, which would decriminalize small office betting pools.
"Every spring, there's a whole bunch of really good people who turn into criminals with the NCAA Final Four," Plale told the Senate's Committee on Judiciary and Corrections at a hearing today.
Plale said he's tried to write the bill narrowly and not throw open the doors to large-scale gambling. Pools will have to fall under certain conditions to be considered legitimate:
All participants would have to work for the same employer
Participants would pay less than $50
The prize is awarded based on result of sporting events
The person managing the game doesn't benefit
Sen. Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee), the committee chair, suggested Plale might amend the bill to cover spouses or children who might also want to participate in an office pool.
Do you ever worry about your office pool getting busted? Does the state need to get rid of the law if it's not enforced? Let us know in the comments below or by sending an e-mail to sforster@journalsentinel.com.
