Putting the Madness in March Madness

Damon W. Root | March 18, 2009

Consider this a public service announcement for all of you Washington state Reasonoids:

As the NCAA "March Madness" basketball tournament gets underway, Washington gambling officials are pointing out that those ubiquitous betting pools based on NCAA bracket sheets are technically illegal....

NCAA pools, which typically involve predicting the outcome of tournament basketball games, are not specifically discussed in the gambling statute, [Gambling Commission spokeswoman Amy] Hunter said. And because they are not listed as legal, they are illegal, Hunter said.

If an NCAA pool is operated by a person or agency that holds a gambling license, that license-holder could be fined or have its license suspended. NCAA pool participants who are not gambling licensees could be subject to criminal charges, Hunter said.

Rest here. Reason on gambling here.

(Thanks to Bob Ewing for the tip.) 

Comments

Warty|3.18.09 @ 4:09PM|#

Amy Hunter? More like I'm a cunter.

Jeff P|3.18.09 @ 4:10PM|#

Hey, that racist cop from Louisiana yesterday,
what's his take on basketball games?

|3.18.09 @ 4:16PM|#

How retarded. Most states I've lived in, sports betting pools are perfectly legal, provided every penny collected is payed out.

EJM|3.18.09 @ 4:21PM|#

Don't forget that the president himself has picked North Carolina to go all the way.

Just once would I like to hear a politician say that he or she just doesn't care about the tournament.

|3.18.09 @ 4:26PM|#

I'm so uninterested in basketball that I couldn't get past the second line. Could someone give me the short-short version of the story, as well as an indication as to whether or not I should care?

Naga Sadow|3.18.09 @ 4:27PM|#

Well said mediageek. I've always wanted that as answered that as well.

"College basketball! Aaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiieeeeeeee! My one weakness!"

Fascitis Necrotizante|3.18.09 @ 4:31PM|#

College basketball is actually the only sport I pay attention to at all, although not much this season.

Jerry|3.18.09 @ 4:38PM|#

How about that Bernanke bet of $300 billion in quantitative easing. I don't think he has enough helicopters.

Naga Sadow|3.18.09 @ 4:44PM|#

Great idea Jerry!

"I'll see your CNN and raise you US Steel"

|3.18.09 @ 4:50PM|#

And because they are not listed as legal, they are illegal, Hunter said.

"Everyzink not reqvired ist verboten!"

SpongePaul|3.18.09 @ 5:07PM|#

And because they are not listed as legal, they are illegal, Hunter said.
____________________________________________
A complete 180 from the founding fathers who wanted what was not specifically detailed as unlaful, then it was lawful. They are spinning so hard in the graves nowadays, the earths rotation may be affected, lol

Hormonal Redhead|3.18.09 @ 5:13PM|#

"And because they are not listed as legal, they are illegal, Hunter said."

Idiot.

Although, if the feds spent all their time trying to bust every college basketball betting pool in the country, they'd probably have no time left to give out any more bailouts.

Hormonal Redhead|3.18.09 @ 5:16PM|#

Whups - read that again and it's Washington State, not D.C. *blush* My bad. Still. . .

Hoops Fan|3.18.09 @ 5:20PM|#

"I'm so uninterested in basketball that I couldn't get past the second line. Could someone give me the short-short version of the story, as well as an indication as to whether or not I should care?"

NCAA Men's Basketball: It's okay.

NCAA Women's Basketball: It's fucking awesome! It's basketball AND college women!!!

|3.18.09 @ 5:21PM|#

If authorities would finally and completely abandon the outdated policy of writing down what is illegal, and instead embrace this fine lady's tactic of only listing what is permissible under the law, we would save so many trees.

No more law books, just a law pamphlet.

chauvinist pig|3.18.09 @ 5:39PM|#

"NCAA Women's Basketball: It's fucking awesome! It's basketball AND college women!!!"

That stretches the definitions of both "basketball" and "women."

|3.18.09 @ 6:03PM|#

I have to say: thank God somebody is thinking of the children.

ed|3.18.09 @ 6:09PM|#

NCAA Women's Basketball: It's fucking awesome! It's basketball AND college women!!!

Girls in ponytails. Layups. Title 9. The mesmerizing hint of sushi in the air...
What's not to love?

I give up|3.18.09 @ 6:11PM|#

yes we have definitely reached the point where it would be easier to just tell us what is legal.

|3.18.09 @ 6:11PM|#

"No more law books, just a law pamphlet."

... and smaller every year.

dotdotdot|3.18.09 @ 6:29PM|#

In defense of Amy, the line that "because they're not listed as legal, they are illegal" is paraphrased, not quoted. Maybe she said something comparably ludicrous, but could be that the team of reporters (!) just paraphrased her poorly. And I don't get the sense that the Washington state gambling commission is out there trying to clamp down on betting pools; they just answered an idiot question from the local paper.

I think the Seattle Times staff needs to find better stuff to write about. I hear faux populism is big these days.

Hugh Akston|3.18.09 @ 6:30PM|#

And because they are not listed as legal, they are illegal, Hunter said.

Anything not compulsory is forbidden. Got it.

zoltan|3.18.09 @ 6:31PM|#

At least the Seattle Times isn't killing lots of trees everyday.

Kolohe|3.18.09 @ 6:40PM|#

"NCAA Women's Basketball: It's fucking awesome! It's basketball AND college women!!!"

college volleyball is where it's at.

|3.18.09 @ 7:01PM|#

Great, they draw this to our attention the one year the Huskies (*ahem* the real Huskies- UW, natch) actually stand a chance.

EJM|3.18.09 @ 7:03PM|#

At least the Seattle Times isn't killing lots of trees everyday.

Actually, I think you mean the Post-Intelligencer; the Times still produces a print edition.

EJM|3.18.09 @ 7:06PM|#

(*ahem* the real Huskies- UW, natch)

...which, of course, is not the real UW. ;)

Naga Sadow|3.18.09 @ 7:08PM|#

Dagny T,

Stop making me care about college basketball!

|3.18.09 @ 7:12PM|#

...which, of course, is not the real UW. ;)

EJM,

But you don't say it "U-Dub", right? Because that is just ours, sorry. ;-P

Stop making me care about college basketball!

Never! It's such a great game- way better than pro ball. Make a bracket, Naga, you know you want to...

EJM|3.18.09 @ 7:19PM|#

But you don't say it "U-Dub", right? Because that is just ours, sorry. ;-P

You may need to take that up with the Whitewater campus. ;)

|3.18.09 @ 7:37PM|#

this NCAA has got to go; Harris County, Texas is running so-called 0 tolerance dui (judge right there to issue warrant for your blood)stops claiming NCAA as one of many aggravating factors...

and the taliban guys hate us cause we're free...

EJM|3.18.09 @ 7:42PM|#

Per tired dog's comment, read more here.

MJ|3.18.09 @ 8:54PM|#

So where do web sites like CBS, ESPN, and Yahoo sports stand with regard to this law as many people use theem to keep score of their brackets? Would the WA government go after them as accomplices at least?

|3.18.09 @ 10:33PM|#

Let's see, the state doesn't approve of gambling, right?

|3.18.09 @ 10:48PM|#

TWEEEEEEEET! Everybody outta the pool!

Coleman Mulkerin|3.18.09 @ 11:09PM|#

Yea cause putting 10 bucks in for a month long sporting event might cause that person's life to spiral out of control.

rassler|3.19.09 @ 1:52AM|#

How about those shameful office pools on college wrestling?

I got Oklahoma State to go all the way.

JB|3.19.09 @ 11:55AM|#

I don't see any statute saying that Amy Hunter's existence is legal. Thus it is not legal.

PC|3.19.09 @ 1:12PM|#

"juris imprudent | March 18, 2009, 10:33pm | #

Let's see, the state doesn't approve of gambling, right?"

Well they do, only if they get a cut and the payouts are shitty.

|3.19.09 @ 6:47PM|#

I always crack up when I read yet another republican whining about the 'left wing media'. They don't ever think that every time they make that claim they are admitting no one in the right wing is capable of writing, being a journalist, or being smart enough to create a news organization.

Yes, there have been aberrations. Fox News is ran by a far right winger. But Fox News isn't a news network. It is 100 percent propaganda, 100 percent of the time. It's Reich Wing, Far Reich Wing all the time.

Look at all the chances republicans have to be writers or journalists. Apparently they aren't smart enough to even get university degrees. They aren't bright enough to write their thoughts down on paper. They lack the discipline to do the hard work necessary to be a journalist or get a university degree.

So every time right wingers whine about the media remind them they are admitting their brethren aren't very bright.