Berkley Continues Gaming
Education For Congress;
Joins Another California Congressman on Sports Book Tour

Las Vegas, NV (August 28, 2000) — U.S. Congresswoman Shelley Berkley (NV-1) this morning invited her congressional colleague, U.S. Rep. Bob Filner of San Diego, on a tour of a Las Vegas sport book to help clarify the issue of a college betting ban. The betting ban on college sports has been introduced in Congress and appears to have popular support in both the House and Senate. Berkley and the Nevada delegation have argued that the bill would violate states’ rights, prove ineffectual in combating betting by minors, aggravate the problem of illegal gambling, and finally would pose a serious threat to Nevada’s economy. The invitation to Filner to tour the sports book was made as part of Berkley’s continuing efforts to educate her colleagues on the issues most important to southern Nevadans, and to the regional economy.

Following the tour, Berkley commented, “I speak to my colleagues in Washington almost every day about issues like Yucca Mountain, the gaming industry, and the challenges posed by our growth rates, but it’s a tremendous help when they can come to Las Vegas and see for themselves what I’ve been talking about. Congressman Filner may or may not support our position on the NCAA betting ban, but at least now we know he has the whole story, and will make an informed decision.”

“It’s one thing to discuss the issue of the betting ban in the abstract,” commented Filner, “but it’s something else entirely to see how the operation works on a day-to-day basis. Shelley has been talking to me and a lot of others about this issue, and I appreciate the opportunity to come and see for myself how college betting works. I feel I now have a deeper understanding of what seems fundamentally a states’ rights issue.”

Last June, after a similar tour, Berkley convinced another California member, U.S. Rep. Bob Matsui of Sacramento, to oppose the NCAA betting ban, and to cosponsor her alternative bill. U.S. Rep. Anthony Wiener of New York has also visited Las Vegas recently to strategize with Berkley on ways to defeat the betting ban.