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Volume 78 · 204

Public Law 88–316

To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit schemes in interstate or foreign commerce to influence by bribery sporting contests, and for other purposes.

Approved June 6, 1964

Statutory text

AN ACT

To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit schemes in interstate or foreign commerce to influence by bribery sporting contests, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

That

(a)

chapter 11,

Sporting contests, bribery.

18 USC 201–218.

United States Code (entitled “Bribery and Graft”), is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new section:

“§ 224. Bribery in sporting contests

“(a)

Whoever carries into effect, attempts to carry into effect, or

Penalties.

conspires with any other person to carry into effect any scheme in commerce to influence, in any way, by bribery any sporting contest, with knowledge that the purpose of such scheme is to influence by bribery that contest, shall be fined not more than $10,000, or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.

“(b)

This section shall not be construed as indicating an intent on the part of Congress to occupy the field in which this section operates to the exclusion of a law of any State, territory, Commonwealth, or possession of the United States, and no law of any State, territory, Common wealth, or possession of the United States, which would be valid in the absence of the section shall be declared invalid, and no local authorities shall be deprived of any jurisdiction over any offense over which they would have jurisdiction in the absence of this section.

“(c)

As used in this section—

“(1)

The term ‘scheme in commerce’ means any scheme effectuated tn whole or in part through the use in interstate or foreign commerce of any facility for transportation or communication;

“(2)

The term ‘sporting contest’ means any contest in any sport, between individual contestants or teams of contestants (without regard to the amateur or professional status of the contestants therein), the occurrence of which is publicly announced before its occurrence;

“(3)

The term ‘person’ means any individual and any partnership, corporation, association, or other entity.”

(b)

The analysis of chapter 11, title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new item:

Approved June 6, 1964.

Parsed from the official Statutes at Large USLM XML in 78.xml