xan

I'd not say "illegal" because there is no federal, state, or local law prohibiting this kind of reward system. This is simply a violation of league policy. It is certainly not gambling, because this is a performance based pool with no guaranteed payout beyond the performance which would be outside the participants' control.

Has anyone actually SEEN proof that there was a contract/conspiracy to inflict physical harm and an actual PAYOUT based on that harm?

Or is this conjecture based on someone's casual and imprecise use of the term "bounty" for the pool itself?