[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 10653]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                 GAMBLING ON INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS

  Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, another issue I am hopeful of getting 
in front of the Senate this year is a bill to ban gambling on 
intercollegiate athletics.
  Yesterday the House held a hearing in the Commerce Committee and a 
markup on a bill to ban gambling on intercollegiate athletics in the 
United States. There is only one State in which that can occur today. 
It is in Nevada. There is clearly a problem we need to address. We have 
had more points shaving scandals in collegiate sports in the decade of 
the 1990s than all prior decades combined. There is about $1 billion a 
year bet on our student athletes. It has been a big problem on our 
college campuses and is growing. We have one State where it is still 
legal. In all the rest of the States, this is illegal. In order to deal 
with the problem of collegiate gambling, we need to make the gambling 
on our kids illegal. Again, currently it is legal in only one State, 
and that is Nevada.
  The NCAA is a strong supporter of banning gambling on college sports 
as are all the coaches. Yesterday, the House Judiciary Committee heard 
from Tubby Smith from the University of Kentucky and Lou Holtz, 
football coach. Both testified strongly in favor of this bill. They 
want to get this gambling influence contained at the collegiate level.
  I am hopeful we will reach agreement to have a vote on this issue 
sometime before the legislative year expires.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alaska.
  Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, are we in morning business at this 
time?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is correct. The Senate is in 
morning business until 2 o'clock.
  Mr. MURKOWSKI. I ask unanimous consent that I may speak 7 or 8 
minutes at this time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it so ordered.

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