A house legislative committee is discussing tweaks to current state gaming laws.
One proposal allows people to place bets on Illinois college sports. But University of Illinois Athletic Director Josh Whitman says he and his colleagues oppose the idea, noting the importance of student athlete mental health. He says players are already attacked online after a bad game.
“The commentary is vile. It’s abusive. It’s threatening, but I think we can all appreciate that if they are that angry without discussion about gambling, if you insert the possibility that someone may have lost $100 or $500 or $1,000 on a bet, that narrative is only going to intensify.”
Representative of the declining horse racing industry also testified at the hearing, saying that the 2019 gambling expansion law did not dedicate any revenue towards the purses awarded.
***Report Courtesy of the Illinois Department of Central Management Services***
