Assembly Joint Resolution No. 2–Assemblymen Perkins, Gibbons, Berman, Von Tobel, Manendo, Anderson, Angle, Arberry, Bache, Beers, Brower, Brown, Buckley, Carpenter, Cegavske, Chowning, Claborn, Collins, de Braga, Dini, Freeman, Giunchigliani, Goldwater, Gustavson, Hettrick, Humke, Koivisto, Lee, Leslie, Marvel, McClain, Mortenson, Neighbors, Nolan, Oceguera, Parks, Parnell, Smith, Tiffany and Williams

 

February 15, 2001

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Joint Sponsors: Senators Raggio, Porter, Washington, Rawson, Townsend, Amodei, Care, Carlton, Coffin, Jacobsen, James, Mathews, McGinness, Neal, O’Connell, O’Donnell, Rhoads, Schneider, Shaffer, Titus and Wiener

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Referred to Committee on Judiciary

 

SUMMARY—Urges Congress to refrain from enacting measure to repeal ability of Nevada to license and regulate sports wagering in its current form. (BDR R‑983)

 

FISCAL NOTE:            Effect on Local Government: No.

                     Effect on the State: No.

 

~

 

EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

 

Assembly Joint RESOLUTION—Urging Congress to refrain from enacting any measure to repeal the ability of Nevada to license and regulate sports wagering in its current form.

 

1-1    Whereas, Illegal gambling on college sports has been identified as a

1-2  serious national problem, particularly illegal gambling by college students

1-3  and other underage persons; and

1-4    Whereas, According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association,

1-5  there are student bookmakers on virtually every college campus in the

1-6  United States; and

1-7    Whereas, The State of Nevada, pursuant to an express provision of the

1-8  Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act enacted by Congress in

1-9  1992, has licensed and regulated a sports wagering industry and has

1-10  enacted controls that serve to assist its sports books in maintaining honest

1-11  operations; and

2-1    Whereas, The sports books in this state have demonstrated their

2-2  effectiveness in providing a defense against illegal gambling on college

2-3  sports through the identification of suspicious wagering activities and the

2-4  discovery of point-shaving schemes in college sports; and

2-5    Whereas, Without the vigilance of the sports books in this state and

2-6  their notification of law enforcement authorities, certain point-shaving

2-7  scandals in college sports might not have been uncovered and certainly

2-8  would not have been discovered so quickly; and

2-9    Whereas, The sports books in this state operate under the strictest

2-10  regulatory controls in the United States, including the most demanding

2-11  reporting requirements for transactions and suspicious activities and

2-12  computerized bookmaking systems that document every wager received,

2-13  every win paid out, the results of each sporting event and every change in

2-14  odds; and

2-15    Whereas, Legal wagers with the sports books regulated by this state,

2-16  which amount to approximately $2.5 billion each year, are dwarfed by the

2-17  amount of illegal sports wagers in this country, which are estimated by

2-18  some sources to exceed $350 billion each year; and

2-19    Whereas, There have been no reports of student bookmakers on any

2-20  college campus in this state contributing to the flood of illegal sports

2-21  wagers; and

2-22    Whereas, There have been efforts in Congress that seek to take away

2-23  from the State of Nevada the constitutionally derived authority recognized

2-24  by the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act with respect to

2-25  wagering on college sports conducted within the State of Nevada; and

2-26    Whereas, The repeal of that exemption would have an adverse effect

2-27  on the economy of this state and the jobs of a number of its residents,

2-28  would deprive this country of a vital defense against illegal sports

2-29  wagering and would lead to an increase in illegal sports wagering; now,

2-30  therefore, be it

2-31    Resolved by the Assembly and Senate of the State of Nevada,

2-32  Jointly, That the Nevada Legislature hereby urges Congress to refrain

2-33  from enacting any measure that would repeal the ability of the State of

2-34  Nevada to license and regulate sports wagering in its current form, thereby

2-35  inflicting damage upon both the State of Nevada and the national fight

2-36  against illegal gambling; and be it further

2-37    Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly prepare and transmit

2-38  a copy of this resolution to the Vice President of the United States as the

2-39  presiding officer of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of

2-40  Representatives and each member of the Nevada Congressional

2-41  Delegation; and be it further

2-42    Resolved, That this resolution becomes effective upon passage.

 

2-43  H