'March Madness' requires sports pool vigilance
By Rick Ask
Acting Administrator
Gambling Control Division
March Madness is upon us and it’s time once again for a reminder to bar and casino owners and staff of the rules governing sports pools and sports tab games.
Not surprisingly, it’s also about this time nearly every year that GCD Investigators around the state find new and clever variations of sports pools that are, simply, illegal.
When an illegal sports pool is discovered, a common refrain we hear is that it was a customer who came up with the novel scheme, or that a manager or staffer had seen the sports pool variation played in Las Vegas, the beer distributor provided the format, or “it just seemed like a
fun way to play.”
Unfortunately, all the interest generated by these new schemes sometimes ends when the sports pool and all wagers are seized and the Division issues a violation notice.
So, here are some tips to remember before you post a sports pool or a sports tab game:
—Every chance to participate (each square or tab) must be sold for the same amount. If a pool charges $2 per chance, every chance costs $2.
—The price of a chance (each square or tab) may not exceed $5. No matter how many chances are offered, no chance may cost more than $5.
—The total prize for the pool may not exceed $500. Whether the pool has 25, 50 or 100 squares, the prizes can’t exceed $500.
—Pools may not be combined in any way so as to exceed the maximum $5 entry fee or the $500 prize limit, nor may they be or tied or connected together in any way.
For example, a player can’t be required to bet two or more spaces.
—A sports pool may not be conducted on a segment, or portion of a single sporting event. For example, a $500 sports pool cannot be based upon one quarter of a game.
—The winners of the sports pool must receive 100 percent pay out of the pool, or 90 percent of a sports tab game.
—There must be at least one winner in every pool or tab game.
—Every participant in the pool or tab game must have an equal chance to win.
—Teams or competitors must be randomly assigned to the participants.
—The card that has the pool must clearly indicate the event, the cost of a square or tab, the number of squares and the amount to be paid to the winner.
—Brackets are not authorized. There are no approved sports pool variations that include a “bracketed tournament” format. Sports pools must be conducted on a sports pool card containing a master square, which is divided into spaces arranged in horizontal rows and vertical columns
—Any online or Internet betting on sports pools or any other form of gambling, is prohibited.
If you are unsure about the legality of a sports pool, before offering the pool to the public, you are encouraged to refer to current gambling statues and rules, which can be found online at <http://doj.mt.gov/gaming/lawsadministrativerules.asp> or check with your regional Gambling Control Division office.
Source: The Montana Tavern Times, April 2009, published monthly by Continental Communications, 125 W Granite, Suite 102, Butte MT. 59701