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NCAA Pushes Online Casino Ban19 March 2003WASHINGTON, DC – As reported by the Associated Press: "On the eve of college sports most-wagered-on event, the National Collegiate Athletic Association urged senators Tuesday to pass legislation aimed at shutting down off-shore virtual casinos. "The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., would prohibit the use of credit cards, checks and electronic fund transfers to pay for online bets. The House Financial Services Committee approved similar legislation last week. "…Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., said Internet wagering appeals to underage and compulsive gambling, circumvents state laws on gambling and is `a logical medium for laundering money.' "…The testimony comes as a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced legislation last week that would create a commission to explore legalized Internet gambling in states interested in licensing, overseeing and collecting taxes from the growing industry. "Bill Saum, the NCAA's top gambling watchdog, said Internet gambling is especially alluring to college students. "`Young people, especially athletes, have characteristics that put them at risk, such as being risk-takers, being very aggressive' and believing they can do no wrong, he said. "…An NCAA study also found that 5 percent of college athletes said they had wagered on games they were involved in and .3 percent said they had tried to change the outcome of a game they had bet on. However, Saum said he believes that is not a problem in the NCAA tournament because of the prestige and competition…" |