The Youngest Victims

Compulsive Gambler? We Can Help. (Malibu) – The names read like a proverbial pre-K and elementary school roster. Claire. Clara. Lincoln. Maxwell. Henry. Jacob – entering his seventh tournament at the age of seven. The red-scrawled crayon entry marked simply “Carmine A. Camillo”. Yet they symbolize a larger problem – compulsive gambling by out-of-control adults. This begs the question – what kind of individual hides behind what Tournament President Matt Henderson referred to as “the youngest victims” in his State of the Tournament address at last winter’s annual Henderson NCAA Tournament banquet at the Bellagio Tower Ballroom in Las Vegas. Tournament officials have long suspected irregularities, most recently brought to light when “Clara” – age one – submitted an entry which took “Davidson plus two with the kicker” out of the Midwest Region. A recent survey of participants by Henderson NCAA Tournament officials placed odds at 3-1 that an entry was submitted by a marginal to below-marginal compulsive gambler. The results shocked Tournament officials, who vowed to strictly enforce Tournament guidelines which require that entries “be submitted by a competent adult over the age of 18”. However, Tournament officials have routinely been criticized for waiving this requirement in exchange for a small entry processing fee. In response to mounting criticism, Tournament officials recently announced that participants may enroll in an online assistance program. Though a nominal registration fee is required, Tournament officials have announced they will waive the fee for participants with four or more entries in the Tournament. If you would like to learn more, email us at help@ncaatourn.com.