However, it is clear that the federal government has an important role in this issue which crosses state as well as international boundaries. In the 105th Congress, S. 474 was strongly supported by professional and amateur sports. The National Football League, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the National Hockey League , the National Basketball Association, Major League Soccer, and Major League Baseball sent a joint letter of support to all Senators. The number of offshore Internet gambling websites has grown from two in 1996 to over 70 today. These websites not only permit offshore gambling operations to solicit and take bets from the United States in defiance of federal and state law but also enable gamblers and would-be gamblers in the U.S. to place illegal sports wagers over the Internet from the privacy of their own home or office.
Internet gambling offers the student virtual anonymity.
With nothing more than a credit card, the possibility exists for any student-athlete to place a wager via the Internet and then attempt to influence the outcome of the contest while participating on the court or the playing field. There is no question the advent of Internet sports gambling poses a direct threat to all sports organizations that, first and foremost, must ensure the integrity of each contest played. The Internet offers fantastic opportunities. Unfortunately, some would exploit those opportunities to commit crimes and take advantage of others. Indeed, as Professor Kindt stated on Nightline, Once you go to Internet gambling, you ve maximized the speed, you ve maximized the acceptability and the accessibility.