Betting on the big game Sunday? Be careful

PHOENIX -- It's as American as apple pie, or even the Super Bowl itself. Many people will get involved in some kind of betting pool and put a few bucks down on the big game.

And most of the time, it's perfectly fine.

"Your typical office pool normally isn't going to draw the attention of any official. Frankly, the government has better things to do," Mark Brnovich, director of the Arizona Department of Gaming, said.

In fact, the only thing you need to worry about is if you are in a pool where the organizer gets a piece of the action.

"If a bar brings in customers and says, ‘hey, come on and bet on the big game' then that can become problematic," Brnovich says. "The [gambling] statute says no one else can directly or indirectly benefit from that gamble."

With that in mind, the only danger you face is betting on the right team. Brnovich says don't bet against Tom Brady and that Patriot offense.