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February 1, 2006
Dear Member of Congress:
As representatives of American sports, we are writing to
ask you to co-sponsor H.R. 4411, the Unlawful Internet
Gambling Enforcement Act. Passage of this bill is long
overdue. It needs to become law in 2006 in order to
preserve the integrity of our respective sports.
Sports gambling threatens the character of team sports.
Our games stand for the values of clean and healthy
competition, and rewarding teamwork, preparation and
honest effort. When sports gambling is prevalent, the
games begin to represent a “quick fix,” the desire to
get something for nothing, and even corruption. Allowing
rampant sports gambling can cause a cynical and
suspicious perception of athletic events, in place of
the traditional American values they should represent.
Gambling on Internet websites is
already illegal throughout the United States. No state
has authorized this type of gambling, and Federal
criminal laws support the enforcement of state gambling
laws. Unfortunately, there is a booming industry of
offshore websites accepting bets and wagers from persons
located in the United States. Because these businesses
are located offshore, they usually cannot be reached
through state or federal law enforcement. Easy access to
Internet gambling websites and lack of law enforcement
give the U.S. public a misimpression that Internet
gambling is legal. This encourages widespread gambling
by minors and young adults, and it holds the potential
to tarnish our sports if continued unchecked.
Sports betting has well-documented
harmful effects, as Congress made clear when passing the
Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA).
Unfortunately, in the years since PASPA’s enactment,
sports gambling on the Internet has undermined
Congressional policy. H.R. 4411 is the most recent
refinement of a multi-Congress effort to address this
problem and we strongly endorse its purpose and content.
The Unlawful Internet Gambling
Enforcement Act does not change the law with respect to
what is currently legal and illegal, but it adds
important and workable enforcement tools that will
prevent or interdict illegal Internet gambling
transactions even when the websites are operated
offshore.
We ask that you move quickly to
co-sponsor this important legislation and get it to the
President’s desk as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey Pash, Executive VP and General Counsel
National Football League
Tom Ostertag, Senior VP and General Counsel
Major League Baseball
Richard Buchanan, Senior VP and General Counsel
National Basketball Association
William Daly, Deputy Commissioner
National Hockey League
Elsa Kircher Cole, General Counsel
National Collegiate Athletic Association
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