1. U.S. Code
  2. title 15
  3. chapter 24
  4. § 1171

Collapse to view only § 1171. Definitions

§ 1171. DefinitionsAs used in this chapter—
(a) 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.
(b) The term “State” includes the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Guam.
(c) The term “possession of the United States” means any possession of the United States which is not named in paragraph 1
1 So in original. Probably should be “subsection”.
(b) of this section.
(d) 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.
(e) The term “intrastate commerce” means commerce wholly within one State or possession of the United States.
(f) The term “boundaries” has the same meaning given that term in section 1301 of title 43.
(Jan. 2, 1951, ch. 1194, § 1, 64 Stat. 1134; Pub. L. 87–840, §§ 2, 3, Oct. 18, 1962, 76 Stat. 1075; Pub. L. 102–251, title II, § 202(c), Mar. 9, 1992, 106 Stat. 62.)

CITE AS: 15 USC 1171

§ 1172. Transportation of gambling devices as unlawful; exceptions; authority of Federal Trade Commission
(a) General rule
(b) Authority of Federal Trade Commission
(c) Exception
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—
(1) use of the gambling device on a portion of that voyage is, by reason of subsection (b) of section 1175 of this title, not a violation of that section; and
(2) the gambling device remains on board that vessel while in that State.
(Jan. 2, 1951, ch. 1194, § 2, 64 Stat. 1134; Pub. L. 87–840, § 4, Oct. 18, 1962, 76 Stat. 1075; Pub. L. 102–251, title II, § 202(a), Mar. 9, 1992, 106 Stat. 61.)

CITE AS: 15 USC 1172

§ 1173. Registration of manufacturers and dealers
(a) Activities requiring registration; contents of registration statement
(1) It shall be unlawful for any person engaged in the business of manufacturing gambling devices, if the activities of such business in any way affect interstate or foreign commerce, to manufacture any gambling device during any calendar year, unless, after November 30 of the preceding calendar year, and before the date on which such device is manufactured, such person has registered with the Attorney General under this subsection, regardless of whether such device ever enters interstate or foreign commerce.
(2) It shall be unlawful for any person during any calendar year to engage in the business of repairing, reconditioning, buying, selling, leasing, using, or making available for use by others any gambling device, if in such business he sells, ships, or delivers any such device knowing that it will be introduced into interstate or foreign commerce after the effective date of the Gambling Devices Act of 1962, unless, after November 30 of the preceding calendar year, and before the date such sale, shipment, or delivery occurs, such person has registered with the Attorney General under this subsection.
(3) It shall be unlawful for any person during any calendar year to engage in the business of repairing, reconditioning, buying, selling, leasing, using, or making available for use by others any gambling device, if in such business he buys or receives any such device knowing that it has been transported in interstate or foreign commerce after the effective date of the Gambling Devices Act of 1962, unless, after November 30, of the preceding calendar year and before the date on which he buys or receives such device, such person has registered with the Attorney General under this subsection.
(4) Each person who registers with the Attorney General pursuant to this subsection shall set forth in such registration (A) his name and each trade name under which he does business, (B) the address of each of his places of business in any State or possession of the United States, (C) the address of a place, in a State or possession of the United States in which such a place of business is located, where he will keep all rec­ords required to be kept by him by subsection (c) of this section, and (D) each activity described in paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of this subsection which he intends to engage in during the calendar year with respect to which such registration is made.
(b) Numbering of devices
(1) Every manufacturer of a gambling device defined in paragraph (a)(1) or (a)(2) of section 1171 of this title shall number seriatim each such gambling device manufactured by him and permanently affix on each such device, so as to be clearly visible, such number, his name, and, if different, any trade name under which he does business, and the date of manufacture of such device.
(2) Every manufacturer of a gambling device defined in paragraph (a)(3) of section 1171 of this title shall, if the size of such device permits it, number seriatim each such gambling device manufactured by him and permanently affix on each such device, so as to be clearly visible, such number, his name, and, if different, any trade name under which he does business, and the date of manufacture of such device.
(c) Records; required information
(1) Every person required to register under subsection (a) of this section for any calendar year shall, on and after the date of such registration or the first day of such year (whichever last occurs), maintain a record by calendar month for all periods thereafter in such year of—
(A) each gambling device manufactured, purchased, or otherwise acquired by him,
(B) each gambling device owned or possessed by him or in his custody, and
(C) each gambling device sold, delivered, or shipped by him in intrastate, interstate, or foreign commerce.
(2) Such record shall show—
(A) in the case of each such gambling device defined in paragraph (a)(1) or (a)(2) of section 1171 of this title, the information which is required to be affixed on such gambling device by subsection (b)(1) of this section; and
(B) in the case of each such gambling device defined in paragraph (a)(3) of section 1171 of this title, the information required to be affixed on such gambling device by subsection (b)(2) of this section, or, if such gambling device does not have affixed on it any such information, its catalog listing, description, and, in the case of each such device owned or possessed by him or in his custody, its location.
Such record shall also show (i) in the case of any such gambling device described in paragraph (1)(A) of this subsection, the name and address of the person from whom such device was purchased or acquired and the name and address of the carrier; and (ii) in the case of any such gambling device described in paragraph (1)(C) of this subsection, the name and address of the buyer and consignee thereof and the name and address of the carrier.
(d) Retention of records
(e) Dealing in, owning, possessing, or having custody of devices not marked or numbered; false entries in records
(1) It shall be unlawful (A) for any person during any period in which he is required to be registered under subsection (a) of this section to sell, deliver, or ship in intrastate, interstate, or foreign commerce or own, possess, or have in his custody any gambling device which is not marked and numbered as required by subsection (b) of this section; or (B) for any person to remove, obliterate, or alter any mark or number on any gambling device required to be placed thereon by such subsection (b).
(2) It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to make or cause to be made, any false entry in any record required to be kept under this section.
(f) Authority of Federal Bureau of Investigation
(Jan. 2, 1951, ch. 1194, § 3, 64 Stat. 1135; Pub. L. 87–840, § 5, Oct. 18, 1962, 76 Stat. 1075.)

CITE AS: 15 USC 1173

§ 1174. Labeling and marking of shipping packages

All gambling devices, and all packages containing any such, when shipped or transported shall be plainly and clearly labeled or marked so that the name and address of the shipper and of the consignee, and the nature of the article or the contents of the package may be readily ascertained on an inspection of the outside of the article or package.

(Jan. 2, 1951, ch. 1194, § 4, 64 Stat. 1135.)

CITE AS: 15 USC 1174

§ 1175. Specific jurisdictions within which manufacturing, repairing, selling, possessing, etc., prohibited; exceptions
(a) General rule
(b) Exception
(1) In generalExcept for a voyage or a segment of a voyage that begins and ends in the State of Hawaii, or as provided in paragraph (2), this section does not prohibit—
(A) the repair, transport, possession, or use of a gambling device on a vessel that is not within the boundaries of any State or possession of the United States;
(B) the transport or possession, on a voyage, of a gambling device on a vessel that is within the boundaries of any State or possession of the United States, if—
(i) use of the gambling device on a portion of that voyage is, by reason of subparagraph (A), not a violation of this section; and
(ii) the gambling device remains on board that vessel while the vessel is within the boundaries of that State or possession; or
(C) the repair, transport, possession, or use of a gambling device on a vessel on a voyage that begins in the State of Indiana and that does not leave the territorial jurisdiction of that State, including such a voyage on Lake Michigan.
(2) Application to certain voyages
(A) General rule
(B) Voyage and segment describedA voyage or segment of a voyage referred to in subparagraph (A) is a voyage or segment, respectively—
(i) that begins and ends in the same State or possession of the United States, and
(ii) during which the vessel does not make an intervening stop within the boundaries of another State or possession of the United States or a foreign country.
(C) Exclusion of certain voyages and segmentsExcept for a voyage or segment of a voyage that occurs within the boundaries of the State of Hawaii, a voyage or segment of a voyage is not described in subparagraph (B) if it includes or consists of a segment—
(i) that begins and ends in the same State;
(ii) that is part of a voyage to another State or to a foreign country; and
(iii) in which the vessel reaches the other State or foreign country within 3 days after leaving the State in which it begins.
(c) Exception for Alaska
(1) With respect to a vessel operating in Alaska, this section does not prohibit, nor may the State of Alaska make it a violation of law for there to occur, the repair, transport, possession, or use of any gambling device on board a vessel which provides sleeping accommodations for all of its passengers and that is on a voyage or segment of a voyage described in paragraph (2), except that such State may, within its boundaries—
(A) prohibit the use of a gambling device on a vessel while it is docked or anchored or while it is operating within 3 nautical miles of a port at which it is scheduled to call; and
(B) require the gambling devices to remain on board the vessel.
(2) A voyage referred to in paragraph (1) is a voyage that—
(A) includes a stop in Canada or in a State other than the State of Alaska;
(B) includes stops in at least 2 different ports situated in the State of Alaska; and
(C) is of at least 60 hours duration.
(Jan. 2, 1951, ch. 1194, § 5, 64 Stat. 1135; Pub. L. 102–251, title II, § 202(b), Mar. 9, 1992, 106 Stat. 61; Pub. L. 104–264, title XII, § 1222, Oct. 9, 1996, 110 Stat. 3286; Pub. L. 104–324, title XI, § 1106, Oct. 19, 1996, 110 Stat. 3967; Pub. L. 106–554, § 1(a)(4) [div. B, title I, § 147], Dec. 21, 2000, 114 Stat. 2763, 2763A–251.)

CITE AS: 15 USC 1175

§ 1176. Penalties

Whoever violates any of the provisions of sections 1172, 1173, 1174, or 1175 of this title shall be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.

(Jan. 2, 1951, ch. 1194, § 6, 64 Stat. 1135.)

CITE AS: 15 USC 1176

§ 1177. Confiscation of gambling devices and means of transportation; laws governing

Any gambling device transported, delivered, shipped, manufactured, reconditioned, repaired, sold, disposed of, received, possessed, or used in violation of the provisions of this chapter shall be seized and forfeited to the United States. All provisions of law relating to the seizure, summary and judicial forfeiture, and condemnation of vessels, vehicles, merchandise, and baggage for violation of the customs laws; the disposition of such vessels, vehicles, merchandise, and baggage or the proceeds from the sale thereof; the remission or mitigation of such forfeitures; and the compromise of claims and the award of compensation to informers in respect of such forfeitures shall apply to seizures and forfeitures incurred, or alleged to have been incurred, under the provisions of this chapter, insofar as applicable and not inconsistent with the provisions hereof: Provided, That such duties as are imposed upon the collector of customs or any other person with respect to the seizure and forfeiture of vessels, vehicles, merchandise, and baggage under the customs laws shall be performed with respect to seizures and forfeitures of gambling devices under this chapter by such officers, agents, or other persons as may be authorized or designated for that purpose by the Attorney General.

(Jan. 2, 1951, ch. 1194, § 7, 64 Stat. 1135.)

CITE AS: 15 USC 1177

§ 1178. Nonapplicability of chapter to certain machines and devices
None of the provisions of this chapter shall be construed to apply—
(1) to any machine or mechanical device designed and manufactured primarily for use at a racetrack in connection with parimutuel betting,
(2) to any machine or mechanical device, such as a coin-operated bowling alley, shuffleboard, marble machine (a so-called pinball machine), or mechanical gun, which is not designed and manufactured primarily for use in connection with gambling, and (A) which when operated does not deliver, as a result of the application of an element of chance, any money or property, or (B) by the operation of which a person may not become entitled to receive, as the result of the application of an element of chance, any money or property, or
(3) to any so-called claw, crane, or digger machine and similar devices which are not operated by coin, are actuated by a crank, and are designed and manufactured primarily for use at carnivals or county or State fairs.
(Jan. 2, 1951, ch. 1194, § 9, as added Pub. L. 87–840, § 6, Oct. 18, 1962, 76 Stat. 1077.)

CITE AS: 15 USC 1178