“When you’re a pro, you kind of sign up for it. You understand what you’re getting into. But you’re 17, 18, 19, and you’re just happy to be getting some nice shoes and nice sweatsuits and being a big person on campus. You don’t know the other side about the pressure that comes with it and the vitriol.”
—Amani Toomer, former New York Giants wide receiver, on the social pressures and financial enticements faced by college athletes
“It’s ensuring games aren’t being impacted because someone has placed a bet (or) the way fans are acting in a game toward some of our student-athletes. That they’re not doing a foul at the end of the game because they know a family member, or someone has money on a game knowing what the spread is—those are the types of things we worry about.”
—Katie Willet, senior associate commissioner of the Big East Conference, on college athletes and sports betting
“We’re going to put our best foot forward and explain what we bring to a partnership like that. And if it makes sense for them and it makes sense for us, then let’s get this done.”
—Steve Hill, CEO, Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority, on attempts to bring the Oakland A’s baseball team to Vegas
“You can’t waste a moment like this. There has to be significant good to come out of it.”
—John O’Neill, outgoing executive chairman, Star Entertainment Group, urging the company to take lessons from a probe that revealed a culture of noncompliance
“They need to know what could be coming.”
—Bob McDevitt, president, UNITE HERE Local 54 in Atlantic City, warning casinos that union members could strike at the start of the busy summer season if their demands are unmet
“We will not tolerate an attitude of lowest possible compliance.”
—Marcus Boyle, new chairman of the U.K. Gambling Commission, promising to be tough on gaming operators who don’t follow industry regulations
