March Madness is sweeping the country and two state lawmakers have recognized the fury, by crafting a new bill that would allow employees to bet on sports in the workplace.
State Sen. Jeff Plale, D-South Milwaukee, and state Rep. Josh Zpenick, D-Milwaukee, intend to draft a legislation that will permit office members to participate in pools for sporting events like the NCAA Tournament and the Super Bowl, but will not address other Wisconsin gambling laws.
State Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, said the legislative process will begin ""sometime in the future.""
""When the bill is drafted, it will carve out an exemption for these office pools,"" he said.
General state gambling laws that currently prohibit office pools frustrate some employees.
""The real March Madness is that Wisconsin continues to criminalize one of the rites of spring,"" Plale said in a statement. ""Changing this legislation will put one in the win column for sports fans all over the state.""
The success of this year's Wisconsin teams may also be a cause for the heightened interest to participate in tournament pools.
Gov. Jim Doyle praised the winning seasons of Wisconsin universities and colleges and applauded their representation in this year's tournament in a statement on Monday.
""It's been a historic season for Wisconsin basketball,"" Doyle said. ""During a season where a Wisconsin team was ranked No. 1 in the country, it's no wonder we're well represented in the NCAA Tournament.""
Ben Williams, a UW-Madison senior who works in an office with student and non-student employees, said he supports the bill.
""I think it's a good idea, I don't see it as gambling,"" he said. ""Most people just do it for fun rather than to make money.""
Despite legal restrictions, March Madness pools are still frequently found in the workplace.
""I think anybody who spends five minutes in Wisconsin would know that at this time of year this law is very widely ignored,"" Black said. ""It's time for the tournament, and many offices have a competition of who does the best picking of the winners in the brackets.""
""My sympathy is pretty straight forward, I'm with the Badgers 100%,"" Black said.
