Gambling and gambling scandals in college sports

The Ethical Dilemmas in Sports:

Betting

Randy Ozbirn

SPMT600 B001

Dr. Barry Shollenberger

July 8, 2018

The Ethical Dilemmas in Sports:

Betting

The gaming industry of sports have become an industry in itself. Over half a trillion dollars

were legally wagered by Americans during 1995. The profits from the industry of sports gaming

in 1995 was in approximately $44.4 billion. The profit revenue from 1995 exceeded total

revenues from music, sports entertainment, and movies combined.[footnoteRef:1] Opportunities to gamble [1: Kailus, M.P. (1999). Note: Do not bet on unilateral prohibition of Internet gambling to eliminate cyber-casinos. University of Illinois Law Review, I999(3), 1045-1081]

online have exploded and this has caused a great deal of discussion concerning gambling to

explore dimensions that have never been discussed before. Usually these discussions focus more

on the associated benefits of prohibition gambling than with the associated benefits that are

associated with the regulations that normally come with gambling.

Concerns that go beyond the normal issues that are associated with gambling are brought to

the forefront when it is sports that bets are being placed on. Many fear that with so much

gambling being done on sporting events, the integrity of the contest could be jeopardized. There

is also fears that youth and society in general could become addicts to gambling on sporting

events. Overall, the response by many Americans concerning gambling on sporting events are

mixed. The governing body of various sports are very opposed to gambling online as well as

gambling on any sport while the general consensus among the American public seems to support

most activities concerning gambling.

Legislation by the Senate and House of Representatives have changed gambling on sports,

both in person and online. The biggest debate is if gambling should be prohibited or not.

Gambling has increased tremendously over the past 25 years and is regarded as one of industries

in America that grows the fastest. There is such a wide variety of opportunities available for

gambling throughout America. There are casinos on both rivers and land, lotteries that are state

run, casinos on Indian reservations, wages that are placed on horse and dog racing and jai-alai,

betting on sporting events, gambling that goes to charity, gambling online through the internet.

There is also gambling taking place on electronic stand along machines on devices such as keno

and video poker.

There are several reason the gambling industry has increased quickly and continues to be an

industry that continues to see expansion at a rapid pace. The most probable cause of the quick

growth and expansion is the fact that gambling has become more accepted by society and is now

viewed as being accepted socially. By governments endorsing lotteries in most states, gambling

is now viewed as a legitimate source of gambling. Most state lotteries are being used for internal

needs as well as to provide an education for persons who qualify. In a report by N.S. Goldin, he

says that by 1996, there were 92% of American citizens who agreed that gambling in a casino

was entertainment that would be accepted by society.[footnoteRef:2] It also appears that gambling illegally is [2: Goldin, N.S. (1999). Note: Casting a new light on tribal casino gaming: Why Congress should curtail the scope of high stakes Indian gam- ing. Cornell Law Review, 84(3), 798-849.]

gaining more approval among Americas as well.

An article in U.S. News and World Report, D. McGraw says "Most people tend to regard

laying a $100 illegal bet on a college basketball team as little different from plunking down $10

on the state lottery or picking The English Patient to come in as Best Picture in the office Oscar

pool."[footnoteRef:3] The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) of 1988[footnoteRef:4] has also been blamed as being one [3: McGraw, D. (1997, April 7). The national bet. U.S. News & World Re- port, p. 50] [4: Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) of 1988, 25 U.S.C. § 2701(5) & § 2710 (d)(l)(B) (2001)]

of the primary reasons for the expansion of gambling. The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act gave

according to the IGRA, "Indian tribes have the exclusive right to regulate gaming activity on

Indian lands if the gaming activity is not specifically prohibited by Federal law and is conducted

within a State, which does not, as a matter of criminal law and public policy, prohibit such

gaming activity”.[footnoteRef:5] The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) was intended for limits to be [5: Ibid]

placed on the type of gambling that could be performed on any Indian reservation. These limits

were to be applied to the gaming that was already present on the reservations. This changed as

federal authorities changed many of the interpretations through court proceedings.

In Section 2710(d) (l)(B), high stake gambling on Indian reservations would be legalized

provided a state allowed the same form of gambling "for any purpose by any person,

organization, or entity."[footnoteRef:6] According to Goldin’s article, federal courts expanded the [6: Goldin, N.S. (1999). Note: Casting a new light on tribal casino gaming: Why Congress should curtail the scope of high stakes Indian gam- ing. Cornell Law Review, 84(3), 798-849 ]

interpretation of "any purpose" to also include any forms of gambling that were considered

charitable so now the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) would read like this, "if a state so

much as allows fire stations or school districts to conduct low-stakes roulette at 'Las Vegas'

charity nights, then under IGRA an Indian tribe also can offer roulette on its reservations."[footnoteRef:7] [7: Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) of 1988, 25 U.S.C. § 2701(5) & § 2710 (d)(l)(B) (2001) ]

So as you can see the gambling and gaming industry has its own way of expansion and also

has its own way of effecting Americans in way never thought possible. Had the Amateur Sports

Integrity Act of 2000 and the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act of 1999 been enacted

successfully, the internet sporting event gambling could have been effected to a higher degree

than the way federal legislation is providing now. At least the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act

(IGRA) of 1988 covers gambling on the internet by any business who is engaged in any

interstate or foreign commerce. Amateur sports are also prohibited from being gambled on by the

Amateur Sports Integrity Act.

Bibliography

Goldin, N.S. (1999). Note: Casting a new light on tribal casino gaming: Why Congress should curtail the scope of high stakes Indian gam- ing. Cornell Law Review, 84(3), 798-849

Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) of 1988, 25 U.S.C. § 2701(5) & § 2710 (d)(l)(B) (2001)

Kailus, M.P. (1999). Note: Do not bet on unilateral prohibition of Internet gambling to eliminate cyber-casinos. University of Illinois Law Review, I999(3), 1045-1081

McGraw, D. (1997, April 7). The national bet. U.S. News & World Re- port, p. 50

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