It's dubbed the race that stops a nation, but there are warnings about those "harmless" office sweepstakes.
Melbourne Cup favourite Irish horse Yucatan (right) leads stablemate Cliffs of Moher during an early morning run at the Werribee racecourse. Photo: AFP
The glitz, glamour, and horses will be out in force at Flemington for the Melbourne Cup in Australia today.
The Department of Internal Affairs has issued some reminders for businesses wanting to splash the cash.
It said any prize money shouldn't be more than $500, otherwise a licence would be required.
Any money raised must be returned as prize winnings and the organiser can't pocket a fee for setting it up.
The department said workplace sweepstakes were legal, but businesses must comply with the rules, or face a fine of up to $1000.
Read the full list of rules [www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.nsf/wpg_URL/Services-Casino-and-Non-Casino-Gaming-Lottery-Game-Rules here].
However, it said it doesn't collect information about lost productivity during the few minutes the race is on.
There is $NZ7.9 million in prize money available for the winner of today's Melbourne Cup race.
The event gets underway at 5pm.
