Sports betting ban bill on fast track

Friday, Jan. 12, 2001 | 11:32 a.m.

The NCAA's bill to ban betting on college sports could surface on Capitol Hill as early as the end of February, a top aide to Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., told casino industry leaders Thursday.

Jim Ryan, the senator's general counsel in Washington, said the bill was expected to move through the Senate Commerce Committee, chaired by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., one of the measure's ardent supporters.

Ryan said a ranking Commerce Committee staffer recently told him the bill likely would be on the fast track this session.

"We expect it to be a much tougher battle this year," Ryan said during a panel discussion at the annual American Gaming Summit at the Bellagio hotel-casino.

Last year, Ryan said, the bill passed the House, but died in the Senate, as Congress recessed for the campaign season.

Though the legislation never made it out of the Senate, Ryan said, the NCAA did a "masterful job of public relations" in rallying support for its effort.

Ryan said he fears the Commerce Committee will consider the bill without holding a hearing, which would make it much more difficult for Nevada's congressional delegation to derail it.

"Basically, last year time was our ally," Ryan said after the panel discussion. "This year it's our foe because if they are able to move something out of the committee this early, there's going to be a lot more opportunity to get the bill on the floor of the Senate for a quick vote."

Ryan said the legislation could be on President-elect George W. Bush's desk by March.

Nevada's congressional delegation and the casino industry have been mobilizing their forces on Capitol Hill in anticipation of the early fight, Ryan said.

Last month, Reid conducted a summit with members of the high-powered American Gaming Association, the industry's Washington lobby, to impress upon them the importance of mounting a comprehensive campaign against the betting ban bill.

Gov. Kenny Guinn, fearing the legislation will harm the state's economy, also held a summit with casino leaders to make sure everyone was in step.

One ace in the hole for the industry this year is the naming of Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., to the Commerce Committee.

Ensign's overall presence in the Senate will give the industry a voice in the fight in both parties.

Ryan said Reid soon will introduce his own bill calling for the Justice Department to crack down on illegal gambling in America, which the senator believes is the real problem.

The fight against the NCAA has been difficult because Nevada is the only state in the nation with legalized sports betting.