Guinn forms strategy on betting bill

Wednesday, June 28, 2000 | 11:29 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The longtime ban on casinos taking bets on Nevada's university teams could be eliminated as Gov. Kenny Guinn seeks to quiet critics in Congress who want to stop any wagering on college sports.

Brian Sandoval, chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission, said Tuesday the "removal of the regulation will be discussed in the near future. It is ripe for reconsideration."

Sandoval's comments came after he talked this week with Guinn, state Gaming Control Board Chairman Steve DuCharme and board member Bobby Siller on strategy in the future to stop congressional legislation to outlaw collegiate sports betting.

A bill banning betting on college sports sought by the NCAA may be dead in Congress this session, but Guinn is looking for ways to bury the anti-gaming legislation forever.

"If it comes to a vote, we probably wouldn't do well," Guinn said Tuesday. "But if it doesn't come to a vote then we need to be prepared because it is certainly going to come up again."

Congressional proponents suggest Nevada is hypocritical because it bans betting on Nevada college teams but allows wagering on the rest of the colleges. They say Nevada protects its own athletes against possible corruption but not those in the rest of the country.

Sandoval said the state regulation banning betting on Nevada teams is 50 years old. It was adopted when there were only about 200,000 people in the state and there was a closeness with the athletic teams. There was a perception, he said, that insider information would be available.

Sandoval said he has "confidence" in the present state regulatory system to guard against Nevada teams being involved in point shaving or throwing games, if the betting ban was lifted. The chairman noted that it's not legal to bet on in-state teams in Nevada, but those who want to place wagers can make them in Mexico or the Caribbean.

The gaming commission, which Sandoval heads, would be able to scrap the regulation. The chairman would not say if he will propose a change but added he would support it.

Guinn talked by telephone with the top regulators Monday about the recent House hearing on the betting ban legislation. Victoria Soberinsky, a member of the governor's executive staff, said Guinn had not been briefed on the hearing previously and wanted an update and what might be done to head off the threat in the future.

"We have been told it is dead, but none of us is convinced it won't rear its head next January," Soberinsky said. The governor is concerned, she said, that this could open the door to other congressional attacks on gaming.

Guinn said, "We're talking about a strategy for the future. It's too late now because they have already held the hearings." The conversation, he said, dealt with what role state regulators should play in the effort to stop the betting ban.

The state should consider whether there should be changes in gaming regulation, no matter how the vote in Congress comes out, Guinn said. If Congress is concerned about the ban on bets on Nevada teams, Guinn said the state should take a look at it.

"It's worked well over the years," Guinn said, referring to the prohibition. "But now there's gaming in every state and maybe we ought to take a look at that."

State officials would probably talk to the NCAA later "to see if we could find out their concerns."

The state might want to work with the NCAA to combat "underground betting with bookies that are not regulated in other states." That's the biggest problem, the governor said.

The NCAA has millions of dollars but spends "virtually nothing" to educate athletes about the dangers and consequences involved in gambling, Guinn said.

DuCharme said that the state is relying on Nevada's Congressional Delegation to stop the legislation.

There has been "some correspondence" with Cedric Dempsey from the NCAA on how the problem might be addressed, short of banning betting in Nevada. But DuCharme said there has not been an exchange of letters in the past few months.

"I would hope we could have an on-going dialogue to see if we could address their concerns, but there is nothing on the table right now," DuCharme said.

Soberinsky said there also was concern about allowing large bets of $20,000. These large wagers, the proponents contend, encourage people to try to shave points or fix games.

Guinn wants to find a long-term solution to the issue. "If this bill dies in this session, we don't know if the NCAA is willing to come to the table," Soberinsky said, adding that there's a possibility of an "envoy" negotiating with the NCAA. But that's only her idea, she said.

Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., said in May that bill "would not see the light of day" this session. He said he had assurances from House leaders that it will not be approved this time.

One fear, Soberinsky said is that this issue could continue to pop up every session of Congress, just like the nuclear waste bill.

The NCAA, in its push for passage, has enlisted South Carolina football coach Lou Holtz and Kentucky basketball coach Tubby Smith to support the legislation.