[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 11 (Wednesday, February 9, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S550-S551]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. REID (for himself, Mr. Bryan, Mr. Torricelli, and Mr. 
        Baucus):
  S. 2050. A bill to establish a panel to investigate illegal gambling 
on college sports and to recommend effective countermeasures to combat 
this serious national problem; to the Committee on the Judiciary.


         combatting illegal college and university gambling act

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, six years ago we passed a crime bill which, 
while controversial at the time, has led to an unprecedented decrease 
in criminal activity. It was a tough bill that was aimed at cracking 
down on illegal criminal activity. It gave law enforcement the tools it 
needed to prevent and crack down on criminal conduct. The legislation 
has been so effective that I believe it should be the model for future 
federal anti-crime initiatives. At the time, however, supporters of the 
Crime Bill were attacked for focusing on the root causes of criminal 
activity. Today, as evidenced by declining crime rates, we see that 
this was an effective approach.
  I raise this issue today because I am concerned that some may be 
moving in the wrong direction in the worthwhile effort to crack down on 
illegal gambling on college sports. Recently introduced legislation 
attempts to crack down on dorm room and bar hall bookies by shutting 
down legal and highly-regulated sports book operations in Nevada. Mr. 
President, this is like closing the Bank of America to eliminate loan 
sharking. It simply does not solve the problem.
  Mr. President, the collegiate gambling legislation recently 
introduced in the Senate is flawed because it incorrectly assumes that 
the elimination of legal sports book wagering in Nevada will mean the 
end of illegal wagering on college sports. The National Collegiate 
Athletic Association (NCAA) is on record stating that there is an 
illegal bookie on every college campus. ``Sports Illustrated'' ran a 
series in 1995, stating that ``gambling is the dirty little secret on 
college campuses, where it's rampant and prospering,'' and that ``the 
bookies catering to most college gamblers are fellow students.'' 
Banning legal college sports gambling in Nevada, where it is controlled 
and heavily regulated, is not going to put these bookies out of 
business. Just as the Twenty-First Amendment did not stop the illegal 
consumption of alcohol, but rather, drove it underground, banning 
regulated, legal college sports wagering in Nevada is simply not going 
to end illegal college sports gambling.
  Mr. President, illegal gambling on college sports is a very serious 
problem, and I commend my colleagues for their willingness to address 
this issue. The problem with gambling on collegiate sporting events, 
however, does not rest with what is legal, but rather, with what is 
illegal. While there are currently numerous state laws that prohibit 
gambling on college sports, illegal practices still occur and there is 
little, if anything, that is being done to address or understand the 
problem. A recent NCAA report noted that there are no comprehensive 
studies available that analyze the prevalence of illegal gambling on 
college sports. Furthermore, the report found that ``the issue of 
illegal gambling on college sports is still largely overlooked by 
college administrators.''
  Mr. President, to respond to this very serious problem, I rise today, 
along with Senators Baucus, Torricelli, and Bryan, to introduce 
alternative legislation that would examine the root causes of illegal 
gambling on college sports. My legislation addresses several

[[Page S551]]

key aspects of the problem of illegal gambling on collegiate sporting 
events, namely, what is being done by federal and state officials to 
enforce existing laws, whether law enforcement has the proper tools and 
adequate funding to address illegal gambling on college sports, and, 
what colleges and universities are doing to address the problem of 
illegal gambling, especially on their own campuses. The legislation I 
am introducing today would follow the recommendations of the NCAA 
report by directing the Justice Department to examine these issues and 
report back to the Congress.
  Mr. President, the growing attraction of illegal gambling among our 
college youth is a serious national problem that requires a serious 
response. We must have a solution to this problem, however, that 
accurately addressed the source of illegal college sports gambling. The 
alternative legislation I am introducing today, which focuses on 
stronger enforcement of existing laws and education campaigns, follows 
the correct path toward addressing the root causes of this problem and 
finding the most effective and appropriate solution.

                          ____________________