PHOENIX - The NCAA College Basketball tournament is just a few weeks away. Sports fans across America will be filling out those basketball brackets soon for a chance to win a cash prize.
There’s a good chance it’ll be through an office pool. Is it legal?
Stephanie Fierro, a partner with the Frutkin Law Firm, said there is an exception for social gambling in Arizona.
“Essentially, if everything that gets paid in (to office pool). Gets paid out to the participants. No one is taking a cut of that money. It's probably going to be okay,” Stephanie Fierro said.
While the office pool may be on the up and up, legally. Fierro says employers still need to be careful in regards to employment law.
“We need to make sure. Everybody gets to participate. That there isn't any separate manager's pool from subordinate employees because it can lend itself to a claim that there's some kind of employment violation. Some sort of discriminatory conduct,” Fierro said. “For example, women can’t be excluded from the office pool or along those lines."
Fierro suggests making sure your office even allows an office pool. Also, remember it's just a game. Employees still need to keep their cool in the workplace.
“Games are intended to be fun and not super highly competitive. Especially in the workplace. That's kind of the best place to keep it,” Fierro said.
Word of warning: gaming sites like Draft Kings and FanDuel are not legal in Arizona.
“If a person is parting with something of value. Arizona says that's not okay because it's a game of chance and not skill,” Fierro said.