as a way to raise money and keep taxes low. (James, Rich. "All five casinos show January revenue drop." Bakersfield Californian 23 Feb. 1999: B5+) During the late 1980s, and early 1990s, several states have tried to introduce sports betting, either as part of lottery, as a sports pool, or as sports bookmaking. The leaders of the nation’s sports integrity, including the National Basketball Association (NBA), the National Football League (NFL), and Major League Baseball (MLB), was concerned that the states, in their desperation to raise money, might begin to tie in sports betting with the lottery. Then the three sports teamed up to try to put a stop to this. They reacted to this by putting strong pressure on state legislature not to induce sports betting. They also started lobbying Congress, and as a result, several bills have been introduced in the U.S. Congress to limit the growth of sports wagering, either as part of the lottery or as sports bookmaking. (Savage, 18) However gambling, for the most part, is generally a well-regulated business. Virtually every state that permits casino gambling or pari-mutuel betting has a state racing or gambling commission to monitor gambling activities. And although today’s gambling industry is a big business run by huge corporations, virtually every state regulated commission feels it must show it is making sure that no underworld or syndicate figures play a role in its state gambling activities. (Ortiz, 50) The commissions also controlled other activities such as how late casinos may stay open and whether there will be limits on betting. Since these regulations are usually determined by state legislatures, it is only natural that gambling companies try to influence their decisions through lobbyists and political donations. (Siebel, Mark A, Nancy Jaids, and Alison Lanes. Gambling Crime or Recreation. Texas: Information Plus, 1996.) Currently, some form of gambling is legal in all states ex...
