Gambling scams put LV Bowl on hot seat

Steve Guiremand

Tuesday, Jan. 12, 1999 | 10:41 a.m.

Published reports that the NCAA membership is considering whether it should continue to hold a postseason football bowl game in Las Vegas caught Las Vegas Bowl officials by surprise on Monday.

"That's the first I've heard about it," Rossi Ralenkotter, vice president of marketing for the LVCVA, said of reports emanating from this week's 93rd NCAA Convention in San Antonio.

"In the seven years we've held the game here, we've had nothing but positive feedback from the NCAA and the schools involved."

The Dallas Morning News reported Monday that the NCAA, perhaps still reeling from recent point-shaving scandals at Northwestern and Arizona State, might be having second thoughts about holding a bowl game in Las Vegas.

William S. Saum, director of agent and gambling activities for the NCAA, said the NCAA membership is discussing whether it's appropriate to continue to have the Las Vegas Bowl given the organization's attempts to crack down on gambling problems at member institutions.

"Is this the right thing?" Saum said.

"We have never, ever, heard from anyone in the NCAA who had any problems about hosting the Las Vegas Bowl in Las Vegas," Ralenkotter said. "We've been sanctioned (by the NCAA) for seven straight years and don't anticipate any problems with making it eight."

The NCAA will meet in April to sanction bowl games for next winter.

NCAA President Cedric Dempsey reaffirmed a war on gambling by the student-athlete during his state of the association speech on Sunday.

"We have had more revelations of illegal sports wagering and point shaving in the last year," Dempsey said. "And, regrettably, we may only have seen the tip of the iceberg."

Dempsey pointed out that he drives past 26 billboards touting casino gambling while driving from NCAA headquarters in Overland Park, Kan., to downtown Kansas City.

"The climate today has made it more acceptable," he said. "We are seeing a tremendous amount of growth in Internet gambling, and it's hard to guard against it because most Internet gambling is sponsored by people offshore."

Dempsey also encouraged schools against accepting advertising from lotteries or casinos. Saum said media outlets should refrain from printing point spreads for games.

"It's only encouraging betting," Saum said. "Unless a newspaper is based in Nevada, where betting on sports is legal, a point-spread shouldn't be printed."

Saum also had earlier questioned the wisdom of hosting a bowl game in Las Vegas during a December interview in the Raleigh News & Observer. "There definitely is doublespeak in what we say and what we do," he said. "Here we are adamant about the gambling issue, yet we send two teams to Las Vegas. Frankly, it's not a comfortable situation, given our position on gambling."

Saum said he addressed the NCAA's postseason bowl committee last August and expressed his concerns about holding a game in Las Vegas. Saum said one suggestion was that the bowl select team hotels that do not have casinos, noting that NCAA staff members are not allowed to stay at either Caesars Palace or the MGM Grand, which hosted North Carolina and San Diego State for this year's game.

NCAA rules prohibit athletes, coaches and support staff members from betting on college or pro sporting events, even in Las Vegas, where it is legal. However, that rule doesn't prohibit athletes from participating in other gaming activities.

In fact, the News & Observer reported that some North Carolina players used some of their $109 meal allowance money to gamble during their stay in Las Vegas.

"A couple of guys won $100, $150 or so," Tar Heel wide receiver Na Brown said.

That fact didn't go unnoticed by Saum.

"We're on a journey when it comes to battling gambling and we're trying to raise awareness," Saum said. "Talking to the committee is a part of those discussions. But a decision on a bowl in Las Vegas is not my call."