Pure, government induced, MADNESS!!---March Madness: 5 reasons office pools could land your firm in hot water

March Madness: 5 reasons office pools could land your firm in hot water - Orlando Business Journal:
Here are five reasons employers should be careful not to let their guards down during March Madness:

• The perils of office pool politics:Some employees can feel left out of their office pools, if they are unable to participate or they aren't invited. Maybe they can't afford the entry fee or the organizer decides to exclude women. At best, employees have hurt feelings. At worse, they accuse their employer of discrimination.
• Risk to union-free workplaces: Permitting employees to sign up other employees for gambling pools counts as solicitation. Solicitation policies must be enforced uniformly, according to rules set forth by the National Labor Relations Board. Therefore, if you let employees solicit for brackets in the workplace, you also may have to also let them solicit for a union.
• Big money, bad feelings: Office pools have expanded into big money over the years as employee participation has swelled. In some cases, thousands of dollars are at stake. Gambling losses easily can ignite tension between employees. In fact, employers historically have banned gambling because it led to fights, not because it's illegal.
• A spike in social media activity sparks badmouthing: Almost 250,000 people follow the official March Madness Twitter feed. Spikes in social media activity can increase the risk of employees publicly badmouthing their bosses during a time when the NLRB is expanding its oversight in this area and siding with employees.
• Gambling is illegal: No employer wants to condone illegal activity. It's simply not worth the risk, no matter how small.