CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The University of Illinois' Office of the Dean of Students and the Chicago Crime Commission are co-sponsoring an in-depth educational conference on campus gambling.
The April 3 event will bring together experts from law enforcement, the university and the private sector to discuss the impact of gambling on college campuses.
The conference is designed to raise awareness of the consequences of gambling and better prepare people on college campuses for dealing with gambling, a growing problem on college campuses.
The program will focus on video poker, the growth of legalized gambling, sports wagering, and organized crime's involvement in gambling.
The conference is aimed at students, faculty, administrators and staff. Conference participants will be provided with first-hand information on the impact of betting from a local and national perspective.
The program will include presentations from representatives of the crime commission, the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Attorney's Office (Northern District of Illinois), a former student athlete from another Big 10 school who was convicted of illegal gambling, and Tom Grey, executive director of the National Coalition Against Gambling Expansion.
The event is free. Both sessions will be held in Room 314 of the Illini Union, 1401 W. Green St., Urbana. The afternoon session, only for UI faculty and staff members, will be from 1:30 to 3:45 p.m. The evening session, open to students and the public, will be from 7 to 9 p.m.