[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 127 (Thursday, October 12, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10400-S10401]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                GAMBLING

  Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I would like to make a few remarks 
todays regarding the recent proposals put

[[Page S10401]]

forth by the Nevada Gaming Commission yesterday that would place a $550 
cap on all legalized gambling on college sports and prohibits all 
gambling on high school and the Olympic sporting events. I believe that 
the proposed rule changes in Nevada are a significant first step in 
protecting our student athletes and the integrity of college sports.
  The Chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission stated yesterday that 
the changes proposed ``will provide protection for Nevada athletes and 
for Nevada games. They will also protect athletes in the other 49 
states. The proposals are intended to discourage illegal bookmakers and 
fixers from attempting to use Nevada's legal sports books as a place to 
place bets.''
  It is obvious from these proposals that the Nevada Gaming Commission 
knows that gambling has an unseemly influence on our colleges and 
universities. Ironically, while Nevada is the only state where legal 
gambling on collegiate and Olympic sporting events occurs, Nevada's own 
gaming regulations currently prohibit gambling on any of Nevada's teams 
because of the potential to jeopardize the integrity of those sporting 
events. The frequency of gambling scandals over the last decade is a 
clear indication that legal gambling on college sports stretches beyond 
the borders of Nevada, impacting the integrity of other state's 
sporting events.
  While I am encouraged by the proposed rule changes from the Nevada 
Gaming Commission, I do not believe it goes far enough. I will continue 
to insist that the Senate take up and pass, The Amateur Sports 
Integrity Act, which is in response to a recommendation made by the 
National Gambling Impact Study Commission (NGISC), which last year 
concluded a two-year study on the impact of legalized gambling on our 
country. The recommendation called for a ban on all legalized gambling 
on amateur sports and is supported by the National Collegiate Athletic 
Association (NCAA), coaches, teachers, athletic directors, 
commissioners, university presidents, school principals and family 
groups from across the country.
  Banning all legalized gambling on amateur sports serves notice that 
betting on college games or student athletes are not only inappropriate 
but can result in significant social costs. The National Gambling 
Impact Study Commission Report recognized the potential harm of 
legalized gambling by stating that sports gambling ``can serve as 
gateway behavior for adolescent gamblers, and can devastate individuals 
and careers.''
  Some of its findings include: more than 5 million Americans suffer 
from pathological gambling; another 15 million are ``at risk'' for it; 
and about 1.1 million adolescents, ages 12 to 17, or 5% of America's 20 
million teenager engage in severe pathological gambling each year.
  According to the American Psychiatric Association: Pathological 
gambling is a chronic and progressive psychiatric disorder 
characterized by emotional dependence, loss of control and leads to 
adverse consequences at school and at home. Teens are more than twice 
as vulnerable to gambling addictions than adults because they are prone 
to high-risk behaviors during adolescence. Ninety percent of the 
nations compulsive gamblers start at an adolescent age. According to 
the Minnesota Council on Compulsive Gambling, gambling on sporting 
events is a favorite preference of teenage gamblers.
  A study conducted by the University of Michigan found that most 
student athletes gamble. According to this study, ``72% of students 
athletes have gambled in some way since entering college (80% among 
male student athletes).'' Many student athletes gamble on sports. This 
study found ``35% of all students athletes have gambled on sports while 
attending college (45% among male student athletes).'' This study found 
that a considerable number of student athletes acted in ways that call 
into question the integrity of their contests. ``Over 5% of male 
student athletes provided inside information for gambling purposes, bet 
on a game in which they participated, or accepted money for performing 
poorly in a game.''
  A study recently conducted by the University of Michigan found that 
``84% of college referees said they had participated in some form of 
gambling since beginning their careers as referees. Nearly 40% also 
admitted placing bets on sporting events and 20% said they gambled on 
the NCAA basketball tournament. Two referees said they were aware of 
the spread on a game and that it affected the way they officiated the 
contest. Some reported being asked to fix games they were officiating 
and others were aware of referees who ``did not call a game fairly 
because of gambling reasons.''
  Gambling on college kids is banned in 49 states. Prior to 1992 when 
any state could have allowed gambling on amateur sporting events, they 
didn't. No states have asked to have this federal law repealed. Why do 
you think that is? It is because it is inappropriate.
  The bottom line--it is inappropriate to bet on college kids. This is 
about protecting the integrity of amateur athletics, it is about the 
effect that legal, government sanctioned betting has on the games, it 
is about the gateway college sports betting provides youth gamblers, 
and most importantly, it is about the impropriety of betting on 
teenagers.

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