News in Brief: A Washington Roundup

All 50 states would be prohibited from legalizing gambling on high school athletics under a bipartisan bill introduced in the Senate last week. The measure, sponsored by Sens. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., and Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., also would outlaw all gambling on collegiate and Olympic sports.

A 1992 law prohibited gambling on high school and collegiate sports in 46 states, but exempted four states—Delaware, Montana, Nevada, and Oregon—that already allowed, or were considering measures to allow, such betting. The new legislation would revoke those exemptions.

Though there is no evidence that betting on high school games is commonplace or even occurring at all, the National Collegiate Athletic Association and other education groups lobbying for the bill want to make the point that such gambling is not allowed, said Doris Dixon, the director of government...