Las Vegas mayor expounds on NCAA betting bill

LAS VEGAS - On the day Oscar Goodman was elected mayor of Las Vegas last June, he made a remark you'd never hear from the mayor of, say, Idaho Falls.

Sure, it felt great to win the election, Goodman told reporters. But his immediate concern was deciding which team to bet on in the NBA playoffs.

Since then, Goodman has continued to use his passion for betting sports as a way to establish rapport with Las Vegas citizens, City Hall colleagues, even political adversaries.

''It's such a popular topic you can use to begin a conversation,'' Goodman said. ''Most people throughout the country, not only in Las Vegas, love to put a wager on a game, whether it's a hot dog or a beer or a couple of bucks.

''Say you're at the airport and you pass by a TV with a game on. It's only natural to ask what's the score, then who do you like. ... It's a way to make a connection.''

So it's not only as mayor, but as a sports betting enthusiast, that Goodman is keeping an eye on the progress of the congressional bill that would ban gambling on college sports in Nevada casinos.

The House Judiciary Committee could examine the bill in June, according to reports.

The Senate's version of the bill is being pushed by Sen. John McCain of Arizona. The Senate Commerce Committee, led by McCain, has already approved the bill.

''The senator is a bona fide American hero, let me make that very clear,'' Goodman said of McCain, renowned for his service as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

''But as far as sports betting is concerned, he's a bum. He has demonstrated no understanding as to the world of sports betting.''

Like other sharp-minded observers, Goodman contends the bill would not put a dent in the amount of betting on college sports but would benefit organized crime.

''If not organized crime in the traditional sense, meaning La Cosa Nostra, then certainly people and groups of people who accept bets illegally would be beneficiaries,'' Goodman said.

As a longtime criminal defense attorney, Goodman has a unique perspective on illegal sports betting.

A Philadelphia native, Goodman moved to Las Vegas in 1964 with his wife Carolyn and was admitted to the Nevada bar in 1965.

In 1970, in one of his first major cases, Goodman defended a client in a government wiretap case involving an alleged bookmaking operation in 19 cities.

''I have represented illegal bookmakers many times, and the only reason they were caught was because of the Nevada Gaming Control Board and the stringent laws we have here in Nevada,'' said Goodman, 60.

''If games are taken off the board here, it will allow illegal bookmakers to run amok. It would create an illegal cottage industry that would be impossible to control.''

Goodman said his personal enjoyment of betting sports has little to do with his stance against the congressional bill.

''I could always find an illegal bookmaker if I wanted to,'' Goodman said, speaking theoretically. ''But in Nevada sports books, the customers are paid, the customers are not cheated, there are no broken knees.''

Even during his tenure as mayor, as one of the state's most visible public figures, Goodman often walks up to the betting counter and places his wagers personally.

Other times, such as when his schedule doesn't allow a visit to the sports book, Goodman will have a friend make his bets for him, strictly as a favor.

''Or we'll bet one-on-one and save the vig,'' Goodman said.

His favorite sport to bet?

''Cockroaches. I'll bet on which cockroach will run across the floor faster,'' Goodman said. ''I'll bet on anything that moves. ... Except hockey. I don't know anything about hockey.''

Perhaps the most memorable bet in Goodman's career was actually placed by his wife. Carolyn backed Joe Namath's Jets in Super Bowl III after Namath ''guaranteed'' a victory for New York, a heavy underdog.

''She took the points and won,'' Goodman said. ''She takes a lot of pride in that.''

Since becoming mayor, Goodman has held talks with officials from the NBA, the NHL and Major League Baseball about bringing a major league team to Las Vegas.

If someone offers an over/under of seven years on that proposition, take the under, Goodman says.

''We'll have a team by 2007,'' he said.

NBA commissioner David Stern has said Nevada sports books would have to take NBA games off the board before Las Vegas could get a team.

Goodman insists he'll go no further than agreeing to a form of the ''UNLV rule,'' by which only games involving a Las Vegas team would be taken off the board.

Meanwhile, Goodman will continue to follow the progress of McCain's sports betting bill - and to vocally express his opposition to the measure.

''To me, Las Vegas is the greatest city. It's great that I can sit here and talk about show business, or who has the best martini, or which teams you should bet on,'' Goodman said. ''In Las Vegas, we have a very good sense of humor about our city and our lifestyle.

''As mayor, I'm concerned that this (bill) is the first step toward more federal intervention into our way of life.''