Editorial

Attempting to regulate social behavior through legislation usually is a gamble because enforcement tends to be problematic. The Prohibition Act of 1920 failed for that very reason.

The College Sports Integrity Act and the Amateur Sports Integrity Act that are making their way through Congress also will fail if they are passed.

The law would ban legalized betting on amateur sports, including college athletics. Supporters say the laws would minimize the damaging social costs of gambling and would take harmful pressure off college athletes, coaches and fans.

But legislators are overlooking laws and regulations that already are in place but have not been enforced effectively. The NCAA has instituted specific penalties for gambling, such as a zero-tolerance policy for athletes who engage in game manipulation.

A 1992 federal law outlawed gambling in most parts of the country, except where state law expressly permits it. The law specifically took into consideration legalized gambling in Nevada. Opponents of the current legislation say that if the laws are passed, they will damage this state's economy.

Gambling on college athletics, much of which takes place via legal booking services, is undisputedly harmful. But the social and athletic ills perpetuated by the gambling industry will not disappear if the proposed laws are passed.

As with Prohibition, the gambling industry would go underground if the bill is passed, and the benefits of legal amateur gambling, such as tax revenue and industry regulation, will be all that is lost.

The NCAA is on the right track by protecting the integrity of college sports through internal regulation. The pressure to succumb to gamblers' monetary bribes is an issue, but athletes and coaches should exercise professional and personal ethics and resist such temptations. By playing into the hands of gamblers by participating in point-shaving scandals, athletes pervert their sports. Athletes playing at the amateur level should play for love of their sport, not for money or other benefits.

But susceptible athletes and coaches are only half the problem. Gamblers are the other half.

As gambling on amateur sports becomes increasingly popular among college students, the students should take into consideration the integrity of the games about which they are so passionate. It is the integrity of their schools and teams that is being compromised.

There is no need to add new legislation to the pile of amateur and general gambling laws. Gamblers already have found loopholes in legislation, such as the 1997 Internet Gambling Prohibition Act. They have taken their wagers overseas, where national and state laws do not apply.

Those concerned with the effects of gambling on college athletics have the means available to counteract the problem. Passing federal laws will do nothing to combat a social ill that would be better legislated at the state level.

But legislation only is effective if it is enforced. Athletic organizations, coaches and the athletes themselves need to take the initiative. Temptation is no excuse. Their careers are on the line.