On the eve of college sports' largest and most popular event, the NCAA is worried that Internet gambling could make it even easier for a student-athlete to place a bet without being detected. But college administrators are beginning to realize that Internet gambling isn't just a student-athlete problem. We are seeing signs that it's becoming a problem. Internet gambling was in its infancy three years ago with approximately 30 sites taking bets. Sue Schneider, who is head of the Interactive Gaming Council trade association, says the NCAA tournament accounts for a large chunk of that money.
Few people are willing to guess at the number of college students who use the Internet to gamble.
The subject hasn't been studied. A study of Southeastern Conference schools revealed that athletes are twice as likely to be problem gamblers than non-athletes. The task force hopes to include six gambling questions on health-related surveys already conducted by most large schools. With the NCAA's full support, the government is trying to curb Internet gambling before it becomes even bigger. Some site operators were prosecuted under a 1961 law that bans betting on sports over phone lines, and a more specific ban on most forms of Internet gambling has passed the Senate and is being debated in the House.