World-Herald editorial: A sucker’s bet for Iowans

The Iowa Legislature is at it again, flirting with the gambling hussy, listening to her enticements, grabbing for the elusive betting dollar that just might be heading for someone else’s pocket.

Des Moines lawmakers are looking at several bills to loosen the rules governing the state’s already flabby control of the gambling industry. Potentially the most absurd of the lot is a proposal to allow sports betting across the state.

Sports betting — you know, the kind of gambling that’s opposed by the NFL and other pro sports leagues, as well as by Nebraska’s Tom Osborne, the kind that’s illegal in the United States?

Yes, illegal. The federal government banned it in 1992 in all but the four states where it already existed: Nevada, Delaware, Oregon and Montana. Only Nevada offers sports betting today.

Brian McCarthy, NFL director of communications, told a Bloomberg News columnist that “sports gambling threatens the integrity of our games and all the values they represent, especially to young people.”

Iowa’s gambling history isn’t checkered; it’s solid black. For 27 years now, since the year lawmakers authorized dog and horse tracks, gambling regulations have gotten looser and looser, gambling methods have grown and grown.

What was supposed to be a little fun for the whole family on a Sunday afternoon has morphed into a ravening beast that devours more than 25 million gamblers and $1.4 billion in yearly adjusted gross casino receipts.

And now, sports betting. Lisa Pierce, director of Central Iowa Gambling Treatment Program Inc., said that different types of gambling seduce different kinds of people. Slot machines appeal to “escape gamblers” who want to relax or avoid stress at home or work. Sports betting, she told USA Today, captures younger people, those who tend to be competitive and those who like “action gambling.”

The legislation being considered by the Iowa Senate would allow betting on professional sports, not college or amateur events, according to Sen. Jack Kibbie, president of the body and sponsor of the proposal.

Hmm. Exactly how long would it take, once sports betting began to rake in the money, for lawmakers to wipe out that little restriction? Based on past Iowa experience, not long.

Kibbie’s measure, generally considered a long shot, may be only the first thrust in a long-running fencing match. As long as the federal government prohibits sports betting, it won’t happen in the United States. And, while there are stirrings in the Senate, there is no major effort to overturn the 1992 law — yet.

But a New Jersey legislator has sued the federal government for allowing four states to have sports betting but not all states. Other states are passing laws similar to Iowa’s.

The idea that overseas Internet companies or illegal bookies are getting bucks that rightfully belong to the states as tax revenue just grinds at many lawmakers’ souls. Commandeering those dollars, by whatever means necessary, is an alluring proposition.

The pressure is on and likely to grow stronger year by year. If history is any guide, Iowa will join the parade of states demanding more gambling, more, more, more. What a pathetic way to add to a state’s bottom line.

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