An Act to amend the law relating to gambling in the District of Columbia
PL 87-259 (H.R.4669), enacted 09/21/1961

540 
PUBLIC LAW 87-25 9-SEPT. 21, 1961 
[75 S T A T , 
September 21, 1961 
[H. R.^669] 
Public Law 87-259 
AN ACT 
To amend the law relating to gambling in the District of Columbia. 
D. c. 
Gambling equip-
ment, 
67 Stat. 95. 
22-
52 Stat. 198. 
D. C. Code 
1501. 
31 Stat. 1331. 
D. C. Code 22-
1504. 
D. C. Code, title 
I app. 
D e 1 e g a tion of 
functions. 
Be it enacted hy the Seriate and House of Refresentatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That subsection (c) 
of section 866 of the Act entitled "An Act to establish a Code of Law 
for the District of Columbia", approved March 3, 1901, iis amended 
(District of Columbia Code, sec. 22r-1505, 1951 edition), is amended 
to read as follows: 
"(c) All moneys, vehicles, furnishings, fixtures, equipment, stock 
(including, without limitation, furnishings and fixtures adaptable to 
nongambling uses, and equipment and stock for printing, recording, 
computing, transporting, safekeeping, or communication), or other 
things of value used or to be used— 
"(1) in carrying on or conducting any lottery, or the game or 
device commonly Known as a policy lottery or policy, contrary 
to the provisions of section 863 of this Act; 
"(2) in setting up or keeping any gaming table, bank, or 
device contrary to the provisions of section 865 of this Act; or 
"(3) in maintaining any gambling premises, 
shall be subject to seizure by any member of the Metropolitan Police 
force, or the United States Park Police, or the United States marshal, 
or any deputy marshal, for the District of Columbia, and any property 
seized regardless of its value shall be proceeded against in the munici-
pal court for the District of Columbia by libel action brought in the 
name of the District of Columbia by the Corporation Counsel or any 
of his assistants, and shall, unless good cause be shown to the contrary, 
be forfeited to the District of Columbia and shall l)e made available 
for the use of any agency of the government of the District of Colum-
bia, or otherwise disposed of as the Commissioners of the District of 
Columbia may, by order or by regulation, provide: Provided, 
That 
if there be bona fide liens against the property so forfeited, then such 
property shall be disposed of by public auction. 
The proceeds of the 
sale of such property shall be available, first, for the payment of all 
expenses incident to such sale; and, second, for the payment of such 
liens; and the remainder shall be deposited in the Treasury of the 
United States to the credit of the District of Columbia. 
To the extent 
necessary, liens against said property so forfeited shall, on good cause 
shown by the lienor, be transferred from the property to the proceeds 
of the sale of the property." 
SEC. 2. This Act shall not be considered as affecting the authority 
vested in the Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia by 
Reorganization Plan Numbered 5 of 1952 (66 Stat. 824), and the 
gBrformance of any function vested by said plan in the Board of 
ommissioners or in any office or agency under the jurisdiction and 
control of said Board of Commissioners shall continue to be subject to 
delegation by said Board of Commissioners in accordance with section 
3 of such plan. 
Any function vested by this Act in any agencjr estab-
lished pursuant to such plan shall be deemed to be vested in said 
Board of Commissioners and shall be subject to delegation in 
accordance with said plan. 
Approved September 21, 1961.