For as long as I can remember, Americans have been taught that gambling is wrong, a dirty vice that is only OK in Vegas, Atlantic City and American Indian casinos. Yet every March, Puritan values and federal laws are thrown out the window to make way for March Madness pools.

I have nothing against tournament pools or even gambling. What people do with their own money is up to them — so long as they’re not hurting others to cover debts, of course. I’m just a bit confused.

I’m confused at why someone like Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has proposed a bill to ban all gambling on amateur sports while simultaneously posting a filled bracket on his campaign Web site. Considering he picked all No. 1 seeds to make the Final Four (something that’s never happened in tournament history), it’s not because he’s a bracketologist.

Kissing tournament pools goodbye probably won’t happen any time soon, considering they’re already illegal and still prevalent. James Gray, assistant professor of sport management and media, said that there are many factors, among them organized crime and, of course, money.

“Ultimately it’s up to law enforcement and prosecutors as to who they go after,” he said. “So long as the amounts are relatively small and there’s no connection to organized crime, law enforcement will use discretion.”

Don’t start celebrating just yet. Gray also said law enforcement could decide to go after small pools depending on the local mood or political climate.

Unlikely as it may seem, the NCAA is disquietingly mum on the issue. Aside, of course, from legislation it has passed banning all NCAA athletes from gambling, college sports’ governing body hasn’t made any significant push to stop the general public from betting on college sports (unless you count its barely-noticed “Don’t Bet On It” campaign).

Keep in mind that college athletics is very much a profit-driven industry. The more tournament pools that are filled out, the more interest there is in the games, and the higher the TV ratings and profit. Again, as long as players aren’t getting involved with organized crime, the NCAA probably won’t do anything to stop pools.

Enraging as it is, the legality of filling out brackets in March Madness pools takes a back seat to the fact that, well, it’s enraging to fill out brackets in office pools. This year, I spent hours sweating over my bracket, changing it at least six times, and I’m already screwed because stupid Maryland had to choke against stupid Butler in the stupid second round — not that I had any money on it or anything.