Hell hath no fury

A Staten Island woman, outraged at her husband’s neglect in heeding her advice on his gambling, has illustrated once again that hell indeed hath no fury like a woman scorned!

The man was part of a social but seriously real money pool betting ring operated from a Staten Island bar, and when his wife blew the whistle on the action it was forced to cease its wagering activities.

According to the NY Post, the woman reported the enterprise to the NY State Liquor Authority, complaining, “My husband spends all his money on these pools and not on our children,” and asking how the SLA could allow a bar to operate what she claimed was a $1 million illegal football pool.

The Authority quickly sent investigators to record evidence of the pool boards, which indicated who had purchased which boxes in each pool, and was taped to the mirrored wall behind the bar.

The total prize value was less than a million dollars but was still substantial; four pools were set to pay out $50,000 each to their winners, another two were worth $100,000 each and the largest pool discovered by SLA investigators was worth $200,000. To win that prize you’d have to pay $2,000 a pop.

NY state law forbids any gambling on the premises of an establishment with a liquor licence, and the punishment meted out to the bar owner is not revealed in the report.

However, it is understood that although pool betting is a victimless crime, fines can be very expensive and licenses can be withdrawn.