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HOUSTON — Though the athletes aren't allowed to make any money, college sports equals big money for some. Last year alone, the gaming industry made $1 billion from bets placed on college games.
That has some lawmakers concerned that betting on amateur sports can have damaging effects on the players and gamblers, especially since 45 percent of male basketball and football players bet on sports, according to a recent University of Michigan study.
Rep. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has sponsored legislation that would ban betting on high school, college and Olympic games. He spoke before the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday to say that it is wrong to "try to make money off of kids' sweat."
Graham reinforced his position with last year's National Gambling Impact Study Commission report. The commission was formed by Congress in 1996 to study the social and economic effects of gambling. Its 1999 report concluded that "sports wagering threatens the integrity of sports, it puts student athletes in vulnerable positions... and it can devastate individuals and careers."
Testifying before the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday were several top coaches from universities around the country. They agreed that gambling on college sports is a growing problem.
"I've had athletes that have been booed when they've won and booed when they've lost because they didn't make their point spread," said Lou Holtz, football coach for the University of South Carolina.
Other coaches say the temptation to make money hurts the game.
"Games are being fixed," Tubby Smith, men's head basketball coach at the University of Kentucky, told the committee.
But not everyone who testified backed the legislation. Supporters of legal gambling say $80 billion to $380 billion was made last year on illegal bets and that's the real problem.
"The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) says that every major college campus in this country has an illegal student bookie taking illegal bets," Frank Fahrenkopf, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association (AGA), told Fox News. "So, we believe the problem is there on the college campuses, and this legislation is not going to solve that problem."
Currently, Nevada is the only state that permits legal sports gambling. Nevada legislators opposed to the bill also testified Tuesday.
"There is absolutely no plausible evidence to suggest that the highly regulated, legal sports betting in Nevada is, in any way, responsible for the illegal sports wagering that plagues our nation's college campuses," said Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev.
Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., who represents Las Vegas, also testified. "How will I explain to a working mother with two children to support with a job in a sports book that the U.S. Congress believes that she is responsible for illegal sports betting on college campuses and must lose her job?" Berkley asked.
They say this legislation won't solve the gambling problem. Lawmakers on both sides of the debate say more needs to be done, especially when it comes to gambling on the Internet, another serious problem identified by the gambling commission.
That has some lawmakers concerned that betting on amateur sports can have damaging effects on the players and gamblers, especially since 45 percent of male basketball and football players bet on sports, according to a recent University of Michigan study.
Rep. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has sponsored legislation that would ban betting on high school, college and Olympic games. He spoke before the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday to say that it is wrong to "try to make money off of kids' sweat."
Graham reinforced his position with last year's National Gambling Impact Study Commission report. The commission was formed by Congress in 1996 to study the social and economic effects of gambling. Its 1999 report concluded that "sports wagering threatens the integrity of sports, it puts student athletes in vulnerable positions... and it can devastate individuals and careers."
Testifying before the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday were several top coaches from universities around the country. They agreed that gambling on college sports is a growing problem.
"I've had athletes that have been booed when they've won and booed when they've lost because they didn't make their point spread," said Lou Holtz, football coach for the University of South Carolina.
Other coaches say the temptation to make money hurts the game.
"Games are being fixed," Tubby Smith, men's head basketball coach at the University of Kentucky, told the committee.
But not everyone who testified backed the legislation. Supporters of legal gambling say $80 billion to $380 billion was made last year on illegal bets and that's the real problem.
"The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) says that every major college campus in this country has an illegal student bookie taking illegal bets," Frank Fahrenkopf, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association (AGA), told Fox News. "So, we believe the problem is there on the college campuses, and this legislation is not going to solve that problem."
Currently, Nevada is the only state that permits legal sports gambling. Nevada legislators opposed to the bill also testified Tuesday.
"There is absolutely no plausible evidence to suggest that the highly regulated, legal sports betting in Nevada is, in any way, responsible for the illegal sports wagering that plagues our nation's college campuses," said Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev.
Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., who represents Las Vegas, also testified. "How will I explain to a working mother with two children to support with a job in a sports book that the U.S. Congress believes that she is responsible for illegal sports betting on college campuses and must lose her job?" Berkley asked.
They say this legislation won't solve the gambling problem. Lawmakers on both sides of the debate say more needs to be done, especially when it comes to gambling on the Internet, another serious problem identified by the gambling commission.