An Act to amend chapter 50 of title 18, United States Code, with respect to the transmission of bets, wagers, and related information.
PL 87-216 (S.1656), enacted 09/13/1961

18 u s e 
1081-
1083. 
75 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 87-216-SEPT. 13, 1961 
491 
Public Law 87-216 
A N A C T 
September 13, 1961 
To amend chapter 50 of title 18, United States Code, with respect to the trans- 
[S. 1656] 
mission of bets, wagers, and related information. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assemhled^ That section 1081 
wagering infor-
of title 18 of the United States Code is amended by adding the "^Transmission. 
following paragraph: 
^3 stat. 92. 
"The term 'wire communication facility' means any and all instru- cation facuu"'^^" 
mentalities, personnel, and services (among other things, the receipt, 
forwarding, or delivery of communications) used or useful in the 
transmission of writings, signs, pictures, and sounds of all kinds by aid 
of wire, cable, or other like connection between the points of origin 
and reception of such transmission." 
SEC. 2, Chapter 50 of such title is amended by adding thereto a new 
section 1084 as follows: 
"§ 1084. Transmission of wagering information; penalties 
"(a) Whoever being engaged in the business of betting or wagering 
knowingly uses a wire communication facility for the transmission 
in interstate or foreign commerce of bets or wagers or information 
assisting in the placing of bets or wagers on any sporting event or 
contest, or for the transmission of a wire communication which entitles 
the recipient to receive money or credit as a result of bets or wagers, 
or for information assisting in the placing of bets or wagers, shall be 
fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than two years, or 
both. 
"(b) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the trans-
mission in interstate or foreign commerce of information for use in 
news reporting of sporting events or contests, or for the transmission 
of information assisting in the placing of bets or w agers on a sporting 
event or contest from a State where betting on that sporting event or 
contest is legal into a State in which such betting is legal. 
"(c) Nothing contained in this section shall create immunity from 
criminal prosecution under any laws of any State, Commonwealth of 
Puerto Rico, territory, possession, or the District of Columbia. 
"(d) When any common carrier, subject to the jurisdiction of the 
Federal Communications Commission, is notified in writing by a 
Federal, State, or local law enforcement agency, acting within its 
jurisdiction, that any facility furnished by it is being used or will be 
used for the purpose of transmitting or receiving gambling informa-
tion in interstate or foreign commerce in violation of Federal, State 
or local law, it shall discontinue or refuse, the leasing, furnishing, 
or maintaining of such facility, after reasonable notice to the sub-
scriber, but no damages, penalty or forfeiture, civil or criminal, shall 
be found against any common carrier for any act done in compliance 
with any notice received from a law enforcement agency. Nothing in 
this section shall be deemed to prejudice the right of any person 
affected thereby to secure an appropriate determination, as otherwise 
provided by law, in a Federal court or in a State or local tribunal 
or agency, that such facility should not be discontinued or removed, 
or should be restored." 
SEC. 3. The analysis preceding section 1081 of such title is amended 
by adding the following item: 
"Sec. 1084. Transmission of wagering information; penalties." 
Approved September 13, 1961.