Evening star., 1950-04-02
Congress Gets
z Bills 10 Smash
Gambling Rings
McGroth Calls for Bon
On Transmitting Doto
And on Slot Machines


Attorney General McGrath yes
terday handed Congress two bills
to smash at organized gambling.
One would bar interstate trans
Of gambling information
on horse races. football. baseball.
or any other sporting
event.
The other aims to halt shipment
of slot machines to States which
outlaw them.
Both bills would apply directly
to the District of Columbia.
Mr.. McGrath said in a letter
to both Houses that such measures
will go far to eliminate the evils
at which they are so clearly
pointed"
The bills were the first two
emerging from a legislative COM
mittee named recently at a ma
tional crime prevention conference
of Federal. State and local ON
cials.
d. c. Specifically Mentioned.
The District is specifically men,
toned by the Justice Departments
explanation of the anti-gambling
device bill.
by the way of additional sup
port" the statement said, foreign
import or export of the machines
is prohibited and their manufac-
ture. possession and use is forbid
den in those parts of the United
States where the Federal Govern
ment is primarily responsible for
enforcement of the criminal laws,
such as the District of Columbia.
The ban on gambling communi-
cations proposed by Mr.. McGrath
would be enforced by the Federal
regulatory power over radio. tele-
phone and telegraph.
1t would exempt from its terms
the reporting Of sports events
for publication or broadcasting as
news. although placing some
curbs on the broadcasting of
horse races.
In proposing a ban on inter-
state transmission of gambling
information, the bill defines gam
bling information as:
Bets or wagers or related in.
formation assisting in the placing
OF bets or wagers on any sporting
event or contest, or transactions
of information facilitating betting
or wagering activities in any
sporting event or contest"
To Bar Laying on" Bets.
In an accompanying explana-
ton. the Justice Department
says:
/. Bets are specifically named
to make clear that placing them
with bookmakers by wire or phone
would be illegal.
2. The reference to transactions
or information facilitating betting
is aimed against the practice of
Laying off" bets by one bookmaker
with another to maintain a bal
anced book"
3. The phrase sporting event
or contest" was intended to in
clude the prevalent organized
wagering on football, baseball and
basketball games. which appears
to be increasing rapidly"
In connection with horse racing.
radio and television stations would
be required to wait at least an
hour after race is run before
giving the results. They would
be prohibited from giving out
gambling information before any
race on the day 1t is run.
This time lag, the Justice De-
partment said. is intended to de-
stroy the usefulness of the in
formation for gambling without
its losing its value as news.
Would Give Governors Veto
The bill would allow broadcast
ing a horse race as a special event.
The proposed attack on slot
machines would apply to any de-
vice which uses the element of
chance to return anything of
value to the player. 1t would not
apply to vending machines, or
music boxes.
The Governor Of a State which
permits such gambling machines
would in effect be given a veto
power over shipping them into his
State. He would have to certify
to their legality in his State or
the law would apply there too.
Subcommittee of the legislative
committee named at the national
crime conference are also at work
on other anti-crime measures.
such as regulation of firearms and
fingerprinting of all holders of
social security cards.
A report OF the American Mu.