Editorial: Sports betting is under microscope

Friday, May 5, 2000 | 10:06 a.m.

Nevada's congressional delegation is facing a tenacious foe in Sen. John McCain, who wants to outlaw betting in Nevada on college sports. The Arizona Republican doesn't mind taking on what many political observers consider lost causes, whether it's trying to pass campaign finance reforms or battling the tobacco industry in Congress. McCain often loses these legislative skirmishes, so there should be room for optimism on the odds of defeating a sports betting ban, especially since his poorly thought-out bill only would serve to drive legal sports betting underground.

But, as Nevada has found out on nuclear waste legislation, the state faces enormous obstacles in Congress when it is the only state in the cross hairs. So Nevadans shouldn't be too surprised if McCain is able to get the bill out of the Senate. If this happens it will be interesting to see if the GOP House leadership keeps its word to Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., and Nevada House Republican hopeful Jon Porter, assuring them that this bill won't pass. After all, this is the same leadership team that lately has shown little compassion for Nevada -- doing everything in its power to send man's deadliest waste to this state.