Although I hate football, I do have a question..

[C.Ann]

With Super Bowl weekend coming up, there is sure to be a lot of betting going on.. These bets range from bookies, to betting pools at work, to betting pools in the sports bars, to betting amongst the people sitting around the big screen tv in your family room..

Is there a distinction between what would be considered illegal (as in the bookie) whereas the betting pool at work would not be?

I'm "betting" a lot of people are going to win money this weekend and a lot of people are going to lose money this weekend...

 

[Missy1961]

I thought I heard that all of this betting is illegal--even stuff without a bookie. Bets placed in Las Vegas are legal. Of course, the police aren't after the betting that's going on during your Super Bowl Party!

 

[Pop Daddy]

your wrong, a lot of people are going to lose money and the bookies are gonna make a lot of money

 

[salmoneous]

Gambling is covered by a patchwork of state and federal laws. However, in most areas gambling is legal so long as (1) all the money is returned to the players and (2) the players have a pre-existing relationship (friends, family, coworkers, etc)

So your basic office box pool is usually legal, so long as the guy running the pool doesn't take a few bucks out to compensate himself for his work.

Bookies are illegal because they make a profit from accepting bets, and because people usually don't have a preexisting relationship with their bookie.

 

[megan4777]

I bet my DH loses money this weekend and I kick his butt

 

[C.Ann]

That's interesting - that it's legal if there's a pre-existing relationship - but not if there's a bookie involved.. I was just wondering because a few weeks ago there was a big gambling bust in a neighboring city and it got me to thinking about the super Bowl..