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My office had a Super Bowl pool last week. Ten bucks got you a box on a grid and prizes were awarded based on the score at the end of each quarter, including the final score of the game. With the number of people in my office, the prize must have been over $500. I didn't participate because I figured gambling was illegal outside of sports books in Las Vegas or Atlantic City. I'm sure this practice is done in offices all over the city. What's the deal?
Ian, Upper West Side
You shouldn't have been afraid to put some money on the Patriots. Clyde Haberman covers this very topic in today's New York Times. As long as no one took a cut of the prize winnings, don't expect to see your office used as the basis for a "Law & Order" episode anytime soon. Haberman explains the concept of "vigorish," which Merriam Webster defines as:
a charge taken (as by a bookie or a gambling house) on bets; also: the degree of such a charge
With the Oscars coming up at the end of this month, you'll probably have another chance to enter an office betting pool soon. We're putting our money on the safe bets, Hilary Swank and Jamie Foxx, but still aren't sure about who to choose for Best Director. Clint Eastwood or Martin Scorsese?
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Just to be a spoiler, I'll say Clint, even though I'd really like Martin to get the hangdog look off his face. I know he SAYS he thinks other directors who have won instead of him having been deserving, but we know that he's obsessed with it.
I live in 34033 Las Vegas, Nevada. Have you been here before?