OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

Hoaorablr B. Jay Jaokaoa 

county Attornry 

sOnmr11 Couaty 

Glen Roro, Tarar 

Dear Sir; 

We quote: 

the fiprlr, or thq'laet race 

00 that r4ainr in the award 

"The statrmnt arad4 tmlbr t abovb on 

the assumption thirt there 18 going to be 

aa 41&t 606 rtakr. Thb 408 owaer8 eater 

thalr dog4 by gayirrg thr ontranoa f44 aa 

stated, and tha doga* n.311~48 are written 

-- -.............. .. - .. -- ~. ...~._ 
Xoaorable be Jay J4Ok8Oa, &¶8&4 t 

dowa 4nA ut Iato a hat -a ar4 th4n Ar8wn 

outiapa L 8. E8Oh pair th4t 18 8414Ot.d 

or 80 dr a m l r4 ooa8IA8nA matohbd. Yrom 

thba oa thr rao48 8r4 ourlrd on and it ir 

a proorrr of 4llm.i.aation - thr dog rinnin& 

the l84t r4o4 from b4Ing l blr to win to the 

iiMl8, Oi OOUS88, IS the WilUl4r Oi thb 

rtak48 maA4 iron th4 8atrano4 fO48 and not 

paid OD thr 8UOC488IV4 r8048 prior to th8 

rinal ra04. 

"3. Th4 dog8 are judged 00 polatr oa 

the dog that ha8 thr moort Qolntr at thr l d 

of 84oh raor. MA thr one with th8 lrro8t 

polato at the 4aA I8 adjudgrd th4 riaal rInn4r. 

“4. It 18 ooatrmplatsd that the proWt4r8 and Iav48tor8 Into thr rpuipmnt, 

8ha11 Oharg8 an 8dmi88iOn f40 t0 844 th8 

raorr.” 

Oi oour8e, 88 y o u uo l wa r b , bsttlng o n 4 06 

r8088 18 4Xpr4881y prohIbIt4A by Art1010 bCba, Polul 

cOd8, .lQS!b, WhlOh r4ad8 iB put 88 tOiiOW8: 

"Art. 646a. D0(l IyO.8, b4ttin6 On; 

krrgillg plaor r0r bbtlu.n( oa r4088; borporatloar for pronotion of dog raolq prohIbIt4A 

WS40tIoa 1. BJrbaft4r it rh8ll b4 

unlawful r,or any person to brt or wagu 

mowy or thing ot value upon my dog rao4, 

or upon th8 r48tit O? my r804, 8p44d, 

8kil1, or rnduraaoo ooat48t, o?, by or batwesa do&r, rua or to be run or h4ld In 

thi8 Stat8 or 4184wh4rr. 

"seotlon t. lniorr4r violat 4ny proV181Oa of thi8 AOt 8h411 Uwll OOaTiOtiOll br 

rImA not 1848 thsr) Two HuaAr4A ()SOO.OOj 

Dollarr, aor nor4 than Fir4 Buadrrd ((600.00) 

Dollar8 4nA b4 IaprI8oa4A In jail not 1488 

thaa thirty (30) day8, aor mor4 than nAnsty 

(90) aay8. 
Hoaorablo B. Jay JaOk8Oa. page S 

nS40tIoa b. I? l ny Q4r8Oa 8h411 k84p 

or be la any manner lnt4rertrA la keeping 

4ny Qr4ULi848, buIlaIag, room or plaoe ror 

th8 &Xlr~84 Of brin(l U84d 88 8 p1804 to bet 

or wag4r upon 406 raos8 or oontrrrtr or 8~444, 

skill or 4aAuraao4 o?, by or b4twew dOg8, 

or to k4.p or to srhlblt for the purpo84 O? 

gaming any ruch pr4mI848, building, room or 

plaoe whatso4vrr, or a8 a plao8 wh8rr peoplr 

r48Ort to gmblr, brt or wagrr upon any 8uoh 

408 rao4 or oont48t, he 8h8ll upon oonvlotioa 

b4 0tiin44 la thr p4nIteatIary aot 1488 than 

two (2) nor mor8 than four (4) yearr. Any 

prrmieer, building,.room or plao8 8hall b8 

00a8144r44 a8 U84d for gaming or to ganblr 

with or for betting or wagrrlng I? any moary 

or anything o? ralur 18 bet oa euoh dog 

ra04 or ooatest or I? the 8880 18 r48Ort4d 

to for th4 purposs o? gaming or b8ttfng upoa 

any buoh dog rao4 or contest. 

94otlon 4. l l + 

“S8otiba 6. It Shall b8 th8 duty Of 

all pea00 ofiio6rr to 8rmst with or without 

a w8rr8at any aa all persoar tlolatlng any 

~lW181OlU of thir Aot, wh4n4V8r ruoh violatloa rhll br within the claw or kn0mag0 

of suoh praoe ottioar. 

“Slotion 6. * + '" 

X4 al80 call your att4atloa to Seotlon 4 of 

Art1014 646a, Penal Code, prohibiting th8 08tablI8himat o? oorporatloar for the operation o? dog rao48: 

"SsotlQa 4. No oorporatloa, private 

or othemi8r, i88 b4 organi844, r0rm44, 

Ohart4r8d or aut go rierd to a0 bu8Inesr In 

thir Stat8 whloh ha8 ?Or it8 pUrpO88 direotly or rrmotely, the operation or running 

0r 406 rao48, or oont88t8 ot 8p44d, aklll or 

badUrtUO4 or, by or bstw44n dOg8, or th4 

m4lntbaano4, furniehiag, leaalng or renting 
Bonorablr b. Jay Jaokroa, pag4 4 

0r a traok plaoe, 4aolo8ur0, un4~0108ur4, 

roba, building or oomblnatlon of either 

Wh8r8 dog r4048 Or 4ollt4rt8 O? 8p48d, 8kill 

or 4aaurrn00 of, by or brtwrea dOg8 am, or 

58~ b4 hold, run, nora or 4xhlbitra. 

"The ohart4r or psnxlt of 4ay oorporatioli BOW doing bU8ill888 io thi8 Stat4, may 

b0 ?OriOit8d, UadU tb prOVi8iOa8 Of iaW 

grnrming th8 rortrituro 0s oorporatr ohartrrr la thlr Stat., for lay or all 0s thr 

ground8 h4r4la 8p4Oifi8d and set forth In 

thi8 84OtiOll." 

Eowevu, WI do aot brllcrrr that th4 oprratloa 

or 40% la088 by iaalri4ual8, a parta4rrhIp or other busia488 org4nIzatloa (with th4 rxorptloa 0s a corporation) 

18 i8ftiUa in 84, aOr 18 th4 Op8mtiOa Of 8UOh bU8in488 

jmhlbltra by rtatutr. In ~11 Texar Raoiag A8sooIatIoa, 

rt al, 1. St&to, by Shook, Criminal DirtrIOt Attora8y 

(CCA, 1955), 88 SW (8d) 151, AffirRNd lee T4Xa8 38b, 

91 Sx' (26) 669, rohrulng or8rrulod, 1fB Texa8 384, 

100 SW (2-d) 548, the COUl’t Of Civil Appeal8 88idl 

18 not 8n ~Offtm80 undrr the law8 

8Jlt8&" (Undrr8oorlag ours.) 

(In 80 fU a8 brttill& 18 001108~~d, thir Oar4 wB8 d4Oid4d 

in 1935 brforr the pa88agr of Artlola 646a, Penal Codr, 

1939.) 

Again the oourt sald, 

“‘And, 811104 rUnni4 406 raO48 8IId 

p4rpg on thro 18 not unlawful, & 

D 4 Of Dr45i848 iOr that DWO84 

I8 not, for that r4a80ar rub14ot to b4 

rnjoi.aea a8 a pub110 nul8ano4." (UaA4r8OOriaS OW8.1 

ìI l + 

“Tb4 aalatmaaoe of a dog raoe traok 

18 IlOt 8 aUi44llO4 POr 84. Wh4th4r it i 

a nulsaaoe 44p4ndr upon the faots of 4azh 
Hoaorablr b. Jay JackIon, Pag4 8 

,BaLO, Khue, a8 hero, thr plaor Wa8 ooaau0t4a la aa orduly maaa4r -4 without iaJUZy t0 thr d&t8 Of Othrr it 18 I4Ot.a 

aul8anoo. (Citing authorlt P al.)" (Pamathrtloal lnrertlon 0~~8.) (UaA4r8oorIng 

OW8.1 

Quoting from thr lan ua o adopted by th4 Suprrxw 

Court In thr 84m8 0as4 (99 SW f 84 f. 669 at pa64 491): 

WI fully r4oognIzr thr proporltlon 

that the Imglrlaturo may or4at.r a oommoa 

auI8ano4, and provlar for It8 l batom4at by 

in~unotlon. but. a8 rhovm aborr. Art10148 

4644 to 4866 do-not mall8 40s railag on pr8- 

ml888 ruoh a8 hsrr larolr04 a au184n04.w 

~aAor4oorlag ourr.) 

Coa84qu4ntly, you arr r48p8OtfUlly 8dVi84d, and 

it I8 thr opIa1oa of thfr A4partmMt that thr mu@ operation 0s a 40% iacr traok 18 aot la Iteol? a auieaqor per 84, 

~tV&.!i8 not bean -40 ualawful by the penal law8 Of thir 

. 

&Wnrr, by thfr wo A0 Ihot m8n to plaor th8 8tamp 

0s approval on thr 4ntlre 8Ohefim rrt forth in your lott4r. 

On thr oontruy, WI brllrrr that la 80 fu 88 th4 Aog-ownu 

pUtIOlpant8 l r o .80a 0tholr 4 r M8OtlvltiO8 6, fall rquarrly 

wlthln the OonAW&MtlOn Of ArtiOle Wa, P4~1 Code, 8upra, 

a8 unlawiul b4ttIag or nagorlng 8oary oa th4 rerulte 0s a 40% 

race. 

Iu stOWa V8. Stat., (~0~8 suprrm4 Court) 21 T4x. 

698, xr. Just100 Robert8 8et forth thr r0il0ting oft qwt4a 

a4finitiOII8; 

"A gam8 18 a trial 0s rklll, or 0s 

ohaaoo, or 0s 8kill aaa Oh4llO8, betwrra two 

or 5or8 ooat4nAfng phi48, l ooor dtlno g 

8OiW rulr by whloh :azh,on4 my 8UOO44d or 

fall In the trial; . 

-* + l 

"Setting upon a gum 18 the nrutual 

agr44m4at 4aa.t4aA4r 0s 8 girt 0s 8omL)thing 

raluablr, whloh I8 to brloag~to th8 on8 or 

othrr of the ooatsading parties, aocordlng 

to th8 r48Ult Of 8UOh trial. 
Honorable b. Jay Jgokroa, ~60 g 

am4 oraiauy ruler or the game wh4ro 

thrr8 are a0 8Q8Oial rUl.8 8tiQUl8t4d Ooll8titUtO tha t0m or th0 8~m08i8ntt -4 a0rh8 

the ooatlag8noy upon whloh one or thr other 

18 to reorIr4 the @ft. The rtaklng 0s moary 

or othu property, 18 an ortearlble adoption 

or ranotloa 0s 8uoh rgr4mmt 4nd al80 a ooaaiti0d t4nd8r. alma th4 trial 18 aocomQii8h4d the result tell8 who 18 the WiM4r.” 

Se0 8180 Long '18. The Stat,, Eg TeX. Crime, 

194, 8 8, W. S41, 58 Am. Rep. 633. 

Ex parto ?ialsh, 89 T8x. CrIm., 489, 189 

9, a* 1108. 

is4 b4liev4 ths oa8e of Leber ~8. Dlbrell (C.C,A. 

1919) 816 S. K. 477, 18 4Ml8gOU8 t0 th8 8itU8tiOn Qr484Ilt44 In your 18tt4r. In that oasr aa agrrr4msnt wa8 entsred 

into brtwosn the Q&i48 to W a hOr88 raO4, th8 OU54r Of 

the f88te8t horse g4t8 th4 8tak48 ana if olthu rqii4a or 

r4fUlr.d to raoe the oth8r 00tia got thr raker, -4 the 

oout rtruok AOWn ths a&r48rPmt a8 1118@1 betting On 8 

hOrae rao8 pmhIblt44 by Arti 578, Penal Code, 1911. 

The do-t 8aidt 

*Thr oontentlon that thr l vlaenoo fall44 

to 8hoW that thr yoary would bo won by thr 

fa8trrt horre 18 uttuly without foundation. 

N4n AO aot usually ut up nOao on the proporltloa t&t the slow go r84 rhoul i take the mon8y, 

but, if thir w4r8 th8 Oa88 it UoulA not alter 

thr faot that the moaoy war to oh840 hand8 at 

the -4 0s a 8D4Od 4oato8t. 4na ooasraueat 

'that the who14 atfalr ~88 illeiz4l 

tIa# oa a horro raoo whloh 18 

law8 0s mar. 

OOakaed by the 

“It may be, 88 8tated by 8pp8llant, that 

fhoreo reolng 18 thr 8port of kIag8', but it 

18 0~4 Of th4 Sport8 Of t&O80 del4Otabh Q4r4OD(Lg48, wh8a 8OOOgpEIIiOd with gambling, whIoh, 

lik4 a~any other8 0s th4Ir doubtful, I? not 

orimminal, Qa8tiIiS38, ha8 been brPndeA by th4 

law8 0s oIrIlIzatIon with disapproval and ooademaat ion .* 
HOnOr8bl8 B. Jay irokron, Pago 7 

R4 hair ruled that ln 60 far a8 th4 dog-own4r 

partlolpantr are 40aO8rn44 th b lr lotlvItl48 ar4 within 

thr prohIbItIon of Artlo 64ba Of the P4aal CoA4. In 

so far a8 the opuatorr Of th4 dog raor traok are ooa08rne4, w4 call your attention to Srotfoa 8 0s mtlclr 

b46a, ?4nal Codr, 8UQr8, whloh bg $tr trriu applies to 

the kroplng Of Qr4lEi848 for th4 Qurp08. Of bring US44 48 

a plao4 to bet or wagrr upon 40% r4048. 

Yir al80 Call your l ttaatlon to Art1014 652% 0s 

the Pemal CoA4, 1925, whloh r44A4 in part a8 fOllOW8: 

“Sbotlon 1. My perroa who takrr or aocrptr or plao48 for aaoth4r a brt or wager 0s 

nonoy or anything Of value oa a hOr84 rao4, 

dog rac4, autombllo raoo nrotoroyolr rao4 or 

any other raoo of any kind what804Yer, rootba11 gmr, barrball gam8, 8th.lOtiO oont48t or 

Sport8 rrrnt 0s what804v4r kind or character; 

or any p4rron who off4r8 to takr or aoo4pt or 

plaor for aaoth8r any suoh b4t or wager; or any 

pel’son who 88 an ag4at, 8orvant or 4aploy84 

or oth4rwl80, 4148 or rnoouragrr Mother to 

takr or accept or plaoo any ruoh hot or wager; 

or 8ny prnoa who dir8Otly or lnAIr4otly autbrIzo8, aid8 or rnoouragrs any agbnt, 84rvant or 4mployrr or other pusoa to takr or 

aoc4pt or plaor or tr8mmlt aay ruoh brt or 

wag4r 8ha11 bc guilty 0s book making a04 upon 

oonvIotIon be QUUi8h8d by oonfInrm8at In th4 

State P4nIt4ntIary for any t4ra 0s yoare not 

1488 t&a oa4 (1) nor mix-0 th8a rivb (5) or 

by oon?Inrmont in th4 4ounty jail for aot 1484 

than tea (10) day8 nor mm0 than oao (1) y44r 

and by a rlar or not 1488 than Oar Hwdrrd 

( 100.00) Dollar8 aor Em-4 than Oar Thousand 

( I 1,000.00) DOllar8. 

“340. 4. Any owa4r, ag4at, 1488or or 

148440 0s any real or perrronal progmrty who 

8h411 kIiOWin&ly U84 or kIlOWia& QUBdt ruch 

property to b4 wed In oonn4otIon with book 

~14king, aa auoh t4x-5 I8 h4reIa abr4~44, Shall 

b4 guilty of a fsloay anA upon oonvlotloa shall 

bo puni8h46 as 84t forth uUd8r S4otIon 10s 

thir Aot. 

“S40. 6. Any rood, plaor, building, l trueture or prop4rty or thr rurnitur4, fiXXW48 or 

paihphernalla of whatsorver kind or oharaotrr 

u84d in oannsotian with th4 aff4na4 of bank 
Ebaorablo b. JAJ Jaoltloa, Pago 8 

mklng or purrulag the buslnorr or book III&- 

lng, a8 doilard in thlr Act, are hrrrby l - 

olared to bo pub110 au18ano.8. Muaotrr thr 

dlrtriot l ttornrf, orlmlnal dlrtrlot attornry oouat~ attorary or AttornbJ Oon8ral b8 

r.lf.bl. information thut 8uoh a aU18&UlOO 

d8t8 he Shall iii0 a 8Uit ia th0 Mm8 Or 

the Stat. in the oounty wherr thr nulranoe 

18 alleged to OXi8t to abatr 8uoh nuiranco. 

If judgasnt be in ravor ot thr Stato, than 

judgmerlt rhall be rendrred l batlq raid aulaanoe and l njolnln6 tha dereadant or dorondants from maintaining thr 8am8 and ordrrlq 

tb 8aid pre;ni888 t0 be 010806 iOr OLII yOU 

rrom data 0r said judgment, unl888 thr d8fOndaata in said suit or the own8r, tenant or 

18eeeo of 8ald propertq, mak8 bond payable 

to the State at the county 8eat of the oounty 

where such nulsanoa 18 allegad to exi8t la 

the penal sum 0r not 1088 than One ThaaMnd 

(#l,OOO.OC,) Dollar8 nor morr than Hvr Thou8fULd ((S,OOO.OO) Doliars with good and 8Umoient 8Wetie8 to br approved by th8 judS. 

tryin& the oa8r oondltloaod that the aot8 

prohibited la thlr law rhmll not bo don0 or 

~eI’J8itt.d t0 be dOnO in Or UpoIl 8aid~&WWd868 

or thr term8 of the lajuaotloa rlolatod. On 

the vlolatloa Of anr ooodltion of 8Uoh bond 

or lnjuaotioa thr who10 rum mny be nooorrod 

a8 a penaltq la tha DUPI aad ror the Statr 

in the oouatp rhoro 8uoh oondltloar are vlolated all 8uoh 8ultr to be brought by the 

dlrtrfot attorney, orlmloal dl8trlot attorney, Oouaty attorney of 8UOh OOuaty, or the 

Attorney General 0r Texas.* 

Conrepuently, you are resgectruiiy advised and 

it 1s the opinion of thlr department that the dog race 

plan set rorth in your Letter fall8 rquarely wlthln the 

corner8 0r Art1018 64&a pi the Penal Code, 19eb, and 18 
iionortiblr B. Jay Jaokaoa, Pago 9 

prohlbltrd by that artlolr. 

Your8 very truly 

ATTORNEY “J%?QXAL OF TEUS 

BY 

(8) 

Xaltrr R. Pooh 

A88i8tant 

BY 

(8) 

James D. Smllaa 

JDS:LW 

,i?PROVED: Nor. e9 1939 

Oerald C. Uann (81 

ATi%EdiEY OE!xt?ERAL OF TEXAS ATROVED 

OPmIOI 

colDcImEE 

BY B.W.8 

CHAIR.W