Title 15 — Commerce and TradeRelease 119-73
§3001 Congressional findings and policy
Title 15 › Chapter CHAPTER 57— - INTERSTATE HORSERACING › § 3001
Summary
Congress says States control gambling within their borders. The federal government must prevent state-to-state interference, protect national interests, and regulate interstate horserace wagering to keep States cooperating and support horseracing and off‑track betting.
Full Legal Text
Title 15, §3001
Commerce and Trade — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)The Congress finds that—
(1)the States should have the primary responsibility for determining what forms of gambling may legally take place within their borders;
(2)the Federal Government should prevent interference by one State with the gambling policies of another, and should act to protect identifiable national interests; and
(3)in the limited area of interstate off-track wagering on horseraces, there is a need for Federal action to ensure States will continue to cooperate with one another in the acceptance of legal interstate wagers.
(b)It is the policy of the Congress in this chapter to regulate interstate commerce with respect to wagering on horseracing, in order to further the horseracing and legal off-track betting industries in the United States.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
Pub. L. 95–515, § 9, Oct. 25, 1978, 92 Stat. 1815, provided that: “(a) The provisions of this Act [this chapter] shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 25, 1978], and, except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, shall apply to any interstate off-track wager accepted on or after such date of enactment. “(b)(1) The provisions of this Act [this chapter] shall not apply to any interstate off-track wager which is accepted pursuant to a contract existing on
May 1, 1978. “(2) The provisions of this Act shall not apply to any form of legal non-parimutuel off-track betting existing in a State on
May 1, 1978. “(3) The provisions of subsection (b) of section 5 of this Act [section 3004(b) of this title] shall not apply to any parimutuel off-track betting system existing on
May 1, 1978, in a State which does not conduct parimutuel horseracing on the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 25, 1978].”
Short Title
Pub. L. 95–515, § 1, Oct. 25, 1978, 92 Stat. 1811, provided that: “This Act [enacting this chapter] may be cited as the ‘Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978’.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
15 U.S.C. § 3001
Title 15 — Commerce and Trade
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73