Thursday, Oct. 12, 2000 | 11:30 a.m.
Nevada lobbyists are preparing to use a proposal that would limit betting on college sports events as ammunition against a bill that would wipe such bets out altogether.
Whether the proposed regulation will be enough to change many minds, however, remains to be seen.
Later this month, the Nevada Gaming Commission will take its first look at a gaming regulation proposal by Chairman Brian Sandoval. Under this proposal, a sports book would be prohibited from taking bets totalling more than $550 on a single college event from a single bettor. Casinos would also be required to track patrons' betting to ensure that the $550 limit wasn't exceeded by placing multiple bets. The regulation also specifies books shall not accept a bet on a game if they know it is coming from a coach or player in that event.
The bill also would alter the regulation's language on amateur sporting events, banning bets on all non-collegiate amateur athletic events while permitting bets on college events within Nevada.
"In Nevada, we're very proud of the fact that we're capable of regulating ourselves," Sandoval said. "By having the limit at $550, we deter illegal bookmakers from laying off their bets in Nevada. It's just good sound policy."
By allowing bets on Nevada teams, Sandoval said, "we protect Nevada athletes, like we protect the integrity of athletes in the other 49 states."
In another time, the proposal may have run into fire from Nevada's casinos. But with Congress considering a total ban on betting on college events, it will instead be used as a weapon in fighting back the NCAA-backed bill that would ban all legal betting on college sporting events. Currently, Nevada is the only state that permits such bets -- and Nevada lawmakers have been about the only opponents of the bill.
"I personally don't think we should have to do this to continue to operate," said Wayne Mehl, congressional lobbyist for the Nevada Resort Association. "We're not the problem. But obviously we'll use whatever tool is available, and this will show any reasonable person we're trying to be good corporate citizens on this issue."
Sandoval acknowledged that the NCAA bill played a role, but "that would be a secondary motivation."
"If our motivation was to respond to legislation in Washington, we'd have done it several months ago," Sandoval said.
The bill's backers so far are unswayed by Sandoval's initiative.
"They're two-thirds of the way there," said David Crane, a staff member of the Senate Commerce Committee. "The Amateur Sports Integrity Act prevents betting on college, high school and Olympic sports. To the degree these proposals accomplish two of three, that's progress."
But Crane said the push for passage of the bill would continue.
"These proposed regulations, though they do present progress, do not close the Las Vegas loophole," Crane said. "The specific recommendation is to ban all legal betting on all college sports."
"Obviously, we remain very supportive of the legislation before Congress," said NCAA spokeswoman Jane Jankowski. She declined further comment until NCAA officials had a chance to examine the regulation further.
The proposal will be initially discussed at an Oct. 26 meeting of the commission in Carson City. A public workshop and discussion will be held by the commission on Nov. 16 in Las Vegas, followed by further discussion at the Nov. 20 meeting of the commission in Las Vegas. Sandoval said the earliest the bill could be voted on is Dec. 20 in Carson City.
Though the bill's backers remain committed to pressing forward, Mehl believes they will lose one of their key arguments if the bill is passed. Lawmakers have argued Nevada books should be stopped from taking college bets because the books could be used by student-athletes trying to fix sporting events.
"Who's going to fix a game for $550?" Mehl said. "It's starting to verge on the ridiculous if you're saying someone working with players on the team will fix a game for 500 bucks.
"These guys (proponents of the bill) aren't going to make fools of themselves. They have to appear serious about what they're doing."
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