Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act
PL 102-559 (S.474), enacted 10/28/1992

PUBLIC LAW 102-559—OCT. 28, 1992 
106 STAT. 4227 
Public Law 102-559 
102d Congress 
An Act 
To prohibit sports gambling under State law, and for other purposes. 
Oct. 28, 1992 
[S. 474] 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 
of 
the United States of 
America in Congress assembled. 
Professional and 
Amateur Sports 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
Protection Act. 
This Act may be cited as the "Professional and Amateur Sports 
Protection Act". 
SEC. 2. PROFESSIONAL AND AMATEUR SPORTS PROTECTION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Part VI of title 28 of the United States 
Code is amended by adding at the end the following: 
"CHAPTER 178—PROFESSIONAL AND AMATEUR SPORTS 
PROTECTION 
-Sec. 
"3701. Definitions. 
"3702. Unlawful sports gambling. 
"3703. Injunctions. 
"3704. Applicabihty. 
"§3701. Definitions 
"For purposes of this chapter— 
"(1) the term 'amateur sports organization' means— 
"(A) a person or governmental entity that sponsors, 
organizes, schedules, or conducts a competitive game in 
which one or more amateur athletes participate, or 
"(B) a league or association of persons or governmental 
entities described in subparagraph (A), 
"(2) the term 'governmental entity' means a State, a politi-
cal subdivision of a State, or an entity or organization, including 
an entity or organization described in section 4(5) of the Indian 
Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2703(5)), that has govern-
mental authority within the territorial boundaries of the United 
States, including on lands described in section 4(4) of such 
Act (25 U.S.C. 2703(4)), 
"(3) the term 'professional sports organization' means— 
"(A) a person or governmental entity that sponsors, 
organizes, schedules, or conducts a competitive game in 
which one or more professional athletes participate, or 
"(B) a league or association of persons or governmental 
entities described in subparagraph (A), 
"(4) the term 'person' has the meaning given such term 
in section 1 of title 1, and 
"(5) the term 'State' means any of the several States, the 
District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, or 
any territory or possession of the United States. 
28 u s e 1 note. 
106 STAT. 4228 
PUBLIC LAW 102-559—OCT. 28, 1992 
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§ 3702. Unlawful sports gambling 
"It shall be unlawful for— 
"(1) a governmental entity to sponsor, operate, advertise, 
promote, license, or authorize by law or compact, or 
"(2) a person to sponsor, operate, advertise, or promote, 
pursuant to the law or compact of a governmental entity, 
a lottery, sweepstakes, or other betting, gambling, or wageiing 
scheme based, directly or indirectly (through the use of geographical 
references or otherwise), on one or more competitive games in 
which amateur or professional athletes participate, or are intended 
to participate, or on one or more periormances of such athletes 
in such games. 
''§3703. Injunctions 
"A civil action to enjoin a violation of section 3702 may be 
commenced in an appropriate district court of the United States 
by the Attorney Greneral of the United States, or by a professional 
sports organization or amateur sports organization whose competi-
tive game is alleged to be the basis of such violation. 
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§ 3704. ApplicabiUty 
"(a) Section 3702 shall not apply to— 
"(1) a lottery, sweepstakes, or other betting, gambling, or 
wagering scheme in operation in a State or other governmental 
entity, to the extent that the scheme was conducted by that 
State or other governmental entity at any time during the 
period beginning January 1, 1976, and ending August 31, 1990; 
"(2) a lottery, sweepstakes, or other betting, gambUng, or 
wagering scheme in operation in a State or other governmental 
entity where both— 
"(A) such scheme was authorized by a statute as in 
efTect on October 2,1991; and 
"(B) a scheme described in section 3702 (other than 
one based on parimutuel animal racing or jai-alai games) 
actually was conducted in that State or other governmental 
entity at any time during the period beginning September 
1, 1989, and ending October 2, 1991, pursuant to the law 
of that Stete or other governmental entity; 
"(3) a betting, gambling, or wagering scheme, other than 
a lottery described in paragraph (1), conducted exclusively in 
casinos located in a municipahty, but only to the extent that— 
"(A) such scheme or a similar scheme was authorized, 
not later than one year after the effective date of this 
chapter, to be operated in that municipahty; and 
"(B) any commercial casino gaming scheme was in 
operation in such municipality throughout the 10-year 
period ending on such effective date pursuant to a com-
prehensive system of State regulation authorized by that 
State's constitution and appUcable solely to such municipal-
ity; or 
"(4) parimutuel animal racing or jai-alai games, 
"(b) Except as provided in subsection (a), section 3702 shall 
apply on lands described in section 4(4) of the Indian Gaming 
Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2703(4)).". 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.—The table of chapters for part 
VI of title 28, United States Code, is amended— 
PUBLIC LAW 102-559—OCT. 28, 1992 
106 STAT. 4229 
(1) by amending the item relating to chapter 176 to read 
as follows: 
"176. Federal Debt Collection Procedure 
3001", 
and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
"178. Professional and Amateur Sports Protection 
3701". 
SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
28 USC 3701 
This Act shall take effect on January 1,1993. 
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Approved October 28, 1992. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY-S. 474: 
SENATE REPORTS: No. 102-248 (Comm. on the Judiciary). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 138 (1992): 
June 2, considered and passed Senate. 
Oct. 5, considered and passed House, amended. 
Oct. 7, Senate concuired in House amendments.