FAVORITE SCOFFLAW: OFFICE BETTING POOLS ARE EQUAL TO ILLEGAL GAMBLING

Make your picks and place your bets for the Final Four, but just don't tell a Missouri prosecuting attorney.

Gambling for money, even in an office pool, is a crime, said Cape Girardeau County prosecutor Morley Swingle.

"This is the time of year when the prosecutor becomes the grinch," he said.

With Southeast Missouri State University in the NCAA men's basketball tournament for the first time, predicting winners from the 64-team field should have a higher local interest.

Participating in an office pool with a money prize is a class C misdemeanor, punishable by up to 15 days in jail and a possible $300 fine.

Penalties get stiffer for organizers. People making a profit from gambling can get a year in jail. If profits exceed $100 in a given day, the crime is a class D felony and can mean five years in jail.

No one has been prosecuted for participating in a Cape Girardeau County office pool...yet.

"So far, thankfully, we have never had a complaint," Swingle said, "but it is a crime and not something the prosecutor could ignore."

Participation in office pools is for enjoyment, said Kevin, who operates a Cape Girardeau pool involving $5 entry fees from 30 people.

"It's mostly about people getting excited about watching their picks and seeing how they do," said Kevin, who spoke anonymously.

Office pools, in an actual office or across several Internet sites, escape the law. They offer the thrill of victory without the money.

The sites post standings based on who made the most accurate picks.

Some Internet pools award prizes. The worst predictions in one Internet contest will merit a two-hour video of missile launches, while the best get $250.

If an office pool is for entertainment only, which most claim, it isn't illegal, said Cape Girardeau police Cpl. Kevin Orr.

"We don't hear about this, because a lot of people just don't see it as a crime," he said. "You'll hear about these contests on sports radio stations, but they stress it as entertainment."

The Cape Girardeau Lions Club is a service organization that has operated a college basketball tournament pool for years. Entry fees are donations to the club's eyeglasses campaign, members said.

Lyle Davis, a broker for A.G. Edwards, won the Lions' pool last year by a three-game margin, he said, but Davis has won tournament bracket pools before.

In Kevin's pool, three of six early entries on Wednesday had picked Southeast to beat Louisiana State.

The prosecuting attorney also had some advice for those picking the NCAA tournament.

"Make sure you're on good terms with the people you're betting with," he said.