It shall be unlawful knowingly to transport any gambling device to any place in a State or a possession of the United States from any place outside of such State or possession: Provided, That this section shall not apply to transportation of any gambling device to a place in any State which has enacted a law providing for the exemption of such State from the provisions of this section, or to a place in any subdivision of a State if the State in which such subdivision is located has enacted a law providing for the exemption of such subdivision from the provisions of this section, nor shall this section apply to any gambling device used or designed for use at and transported to licensed gambling establishments where betting is legal under applicable State laws: Provided, further, That it shall not be unlawful to transport in interstate or foreign commerce any gambling device into any State in which the transported gambling device is specifically enumerated as lawful in a statute of that State.
Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to interfere with or reduce the authority, or the existing interpretation of the authority, of the Federal Trade Commission under the Federal Trade Commission Act [15 U.S.C. 41 et. seq.].
This section does not prohibit the transport of a gambling device to a place in a State or a possession of the United States on a vessel on a voyage, if-
15 U.S.C. § 1172
EDITORIAL NOTES
REFERENCES IN TEXTThe Federal Trade Commission Act, referred to in subsec. (b), is act Sept. 26, 1914, ch. 311, 38 Stat. 717, which is classified generally to subchapter I (§41 et seq.) of chapter 2 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 58 of this title and Tables.
AMENDMENTS1992- Pub. L. 102-251, §202(a)(1), (3), (4), designated existing provisions as subsecs. (a) and (b), inserted headings, and added subsec. (c). Pub. L. 102-251, §202(a)(2), which directed that ",District of Columbia," be struck out in subsec. (a), was executed by striking out ",the District of Columbia," after "place in a State" and "outside of such State" to reflect the probable intent of Congress. 1962- Pub. L. 87-840 excepted gambling devices used or designed for use at and transported to licensed gambling establishments where betting is legal under State laws, and provided that it shall not be unlawful to transport such devices into any State in which the device is specifically enumerated as lawful in a State statute.
STATUTORY NOTES AND RELATED SUBSIDIARIES
EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1962 AMENDMENT Amendment effective on sixtieth day after Oct. 18, 1962, see section 7 of Pub. L. 87-840 set out as a note under section 1171 of this title.
- State
- The term "State" includes the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Guam.
- gambling device
- The term "gambling device" means- (1) any so-called "slot machine" or any other machine or mechanical device an essential part of which is a drum or reel with insignia thereon, and (A) which when operated may deliver, as the result of the application of an element of chance, any money or property, or (B) by the operation of which a person may become entitled to receive, as the result of the application of an element of chance, any money or property; or(2) any other machine or mechanical device (including, but not limited to, roulette wheels and similar devices) designed and manufactured primarily for use in connection with gambling, and (A) which when operated may deliver, as the result of the application of an element of chance, any money or property, or (B) by the operation of which a person may become entitled to receive, as the result of the application of an element of chance, any money or property; or(3) any subassembly or essential part intended to be used in connection with any such machine or mechanical device, but which is not attached to any such machine or mechanical device as a constituent part.
- interstate or foreign commerce
- The term "interstate or foreign commerce" means commerce (1) between any State or possession of the United States and any place outside of such State or possession, or (2) between points in the same State or possession of the United States but through any place outside thereof.
- possession of the United States
- The term "possession of the United States" means any possession of the United States which is not named in paragraph1 (b) of this section.