Sen. John McCain said March 29 that ending legalized betting on college sports will be a service to student-athletes throughout the country.

McCain (R-Arizona), who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, made his remarks during the opening statement of a hearing on the Amateur Sports Integrity Act (S. 2267).

"By closing the Vegas loophole and banning college sports gambling completely," he said, "we will end a practice that has turned college athletes into objects to be bet upon, exposing them to unwarranted pressure, bribery and corruption.

"Ironically, the degree of this threat of corruption is best exemplified in the fact that Nevada, the only state where legal gambling on college sports occurs, has banned wagering on professional and amateur teams located within the state."

The Professional and Amateur Sports Act was signed into law in 1992 to prohibit gambling on most sporting events. The act grandfathered those states that already conducted sports gambling. Nevada was the only state (and continues to be the only state) in which gambling on college and Olympic sporting events is legal.

The legislation follows the recommendation of the National Gambling Impact Study Commission, a federally appointed body charged with studying the effects of gambling.

At the conclusion of the commission's two-year review, a report was submitted to Congress that made several recommendations on actions that should be taken to address serious concerns identified by the study. One recommendation was that "all betting on collegiate and amateur sporting events that is currently legal be banned altogether."

After the release of the report, the NCAA's Executive Committee voted to approach members of Congress to sponsor federal legislation to carry forward the recommendation. Legislation was introduced in both the Senate and House in late January.

Other witnesses at the March 29 hearing included Charles Wethington, president of the University of Kentucky and chair of the NCAA Executive Committee, and coach Jim Calhoun, head men's basketball coach at the University of Connecticut.

"Our emotions are all tied up in the hopes and dreams of these young players and the pride and respect we feel for our institutions," Wethington said. "We don't need anything more to enjoy these games. Gambling on the outcome of these games is not only unnecessary, it sells short the talent and hard work that the student-athletes bring to the games and has the potential to jeopardize the integrity of this American tradition."

Calhoun expressed concerns that the "university culture has built into its fabric that gambling is a part of everyday life" and that any sort of government-sanctioned gambling on college sports send a mixed message to college students. "The threat of a scandal to our kids and our game must be reduced," he said.

A letter endorsing the federal legislation and signed by 65 top college coaches was sent to McCain. Another letter from former University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, men's basketball coach Dean Smith said: "I am writing to express my support for the legislation you and Sen. Brownback have introduced to extend the ban on college and amateur sporting to every state."

Smith also addressed the widespread distribution of point spreads in mainstream publications.

"The printing of point spreads in newspapers has long been troublesome to me," he said. "I realize that you cannot stop newspapers from printing what they wish to print, but it does not seem correct to promote illegal betting odds in a daily newspaper."

The Nevada gambling industry vigorously opposes the legislation, saying that it will do nothing to address the larger illegal sports gambling industry. In addition, the industry points to the Arizona State University point-shaving scheme as an example of how it has helped identify irregular betting patterns that have resulted in prosecution of players and outside organizers of the scandal.

McCain, however was not convinced that the Nevada gambling industry's watchdog role is worth the risk to players.

"What have you done to prevent one of these scandals from occurring?" he asked a Gaming Commission official.

McCain also believes the ban might convince newspapers to stop printing college point spreads since doing so would promote an activity that is illegal in all 50 states.

Momentum is building in the Senate and House, with action on the bills expected this year. Currently, there are 18 cosponsors in the senate and 60 in the House. A House Judiciary Committee hearing is expected to be held in May.

On March 31, the Senate sponsor of the legislation Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) and the House sponsor, Rep. Tim Roemer (D-Indiana) met in Indianapolis with the National Association of Basketball Coaches to enlist the support of coaches for the legislation. Incoming NABC president Gene Keady, Purdue University; Roy Williams, University of Kansas; and Kelvin Sampson, University of Oklahoma, joined members of Congress at a press conference calling for a ban on college sports gambling in Nevada.

Roemer asked the NABC to encourage coaches to speak out in favor of the legislation and to call and write their senators and representatives in support.