Title 15Commerce and TradeRelease 119-73

§3002 Definitions

Title 15 › Chapter CHAPTER 57— - INTERSTATE HORSERACING › § 3002

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Defines the key words used in the chapter about interstate off-track betting on horse races. It gives short meanings for terms used later in the rules. Person is any individual, business, organization, or government unit. State means each U.S. State, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and any U.S. territory or possession. Interstate off-track wager is a lawful bet made in one State on a race happening in another State, including telephone or electronic pari‑mutuel bets and pooled wagers. On-track wager is a bet placed at the racetrack where the race takes place. Host State is where the raced being bet on happens. Off-track State is where the interstate off-track wager is accepted. Off-track betting system is a business or group that accepts bets away from the racetrack and is run by or allowed under State law. Off-track betting office is any place in an off-track State that takes off-track wagers. Host racing association is the person or group licensed by the host State to run the race. Host racing commission is the person or agency named by law or rule to regulate racing in the host State. Off-track racing commission is the person or agency named by law or rule to regulate off-track betting in that State. Horsemen’s group represents the majority of owners and trainers at the host association for the races involved. Parimutuel is a betting system where bettors put money into a pool and win against each other, not the operator, under State law. Currently operating tracks are tracks running parimutuel races at the same time of day (for example, afternoon vs afternoon or night vs night). Race meeting is the scheduled days a track is allowed to run races each year. Racing day is a full program of races at a given track on a given day. Special event is an individual race an off-track system treats as nationally significant and offers interstate wagering on. Dark days are days when the same type of racing does not occur within 60 miles of an off-track betting office during a race meeting, or when a scheduled program is canceled or not completed for reasons like weather or strikes. Year means calendar year. Takeout is the part of a wager taken out of the pool and paid to others. Regular contractual process is the normal negotiations between the horsemen’s group and the host racing association. Terms and conditions includes items such as the percentages paid by the off-track betting system to the host association, the percentages the host association pays the horsemen’s group, and any exclusivity arrangements.

Full Legal Text

Title 15, §3002

Commerce and Trade — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

For the purposes of this chapter the term—
(1)“person” means any individual, association, partnership, joint venture, corporation, State or political subdivision thereof, department, agency, or instrumentality of a State or political subdivision thereof, or any other organization or entity;
(2)“State” means each State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any territory or possession of the United States;
(3)“interstate off-track wager” means a legal wager placed or accepted in one State with respect to the outcome of a horserace taking place in another State and includes pari-mutuel wagers, where lawful in each State involved, placed or transmitted by an individual in one State via telephone or other electronic media and accepted by an off-track betting system in the same or another State, as well as the combination of any pari-mutuel wagering pools;
(4)“on-track wager” means a wager with respect to the outcome of a horserace which is placed at the racetrack at which such horse- race takes place;
(5)“host State” means the State in which the horserace subject to the interstate wager takes place;
(6)“off-track State” means the State in which an interstate off-track wager is accepted;
(7)“off-track betting system” means any group which is in the business of accepting wagers on horseraces at locations other than the place where the horserace is run, which business is conducted by the State or licensed or otherwise permitted by State law;
(8)“off-track betting office” means any location within an off-track State at which off-track wagers are accepted;
(9)“host racing association” means any person who, pursuant to a license or other permission granted by the host State, conducts the horserace subject to the interstate wager;
(10)“host racing commission” means that person designated by State statute or, in the absence of statute, by regulation, with jurisdiction to regulate the conduct of racing within the host State;
(11)“off-track racing commission” means that person designated by State statute or, in the absence of statute, by regulation, with jurisdiction to regulate off-track betting in that State;
(12)“horsemen’s group” means, with reference to the applicable host racing association, the group which represents the majority of owners and trainers racing there, for the races subject to the interstate off-track wager on any racing day;
(13)“parimutuel” means any system whereby wagers with respect to the outcome of a horserace are placed with, or in, a wagering pool conducted by a person licensed or otherwise permitted to do so under State law, and in which the participants are wagering with each other and not against the operator;
(14)“currently operating tracks” means racing associations conducting parimutuel horseracing at the same time of day (afternoon against afternoon; nighttime against nighttime) as the racing association conducting the horseracing which is the subject of the interstate off-track wager;
(15)“race meeting” means those scheduled days during the year a racing association is granted permission by the appropriate State racing commission to conduct horseracing;
(16)“racing day” means a full program of races at a specified racing association on a specified day;
(17)“special event” means the specific individual horserace which is deemed by the off-track betting system to be of sufficient national significance and interest to warrant interstate off-track wagering on that event or events;
(18)“dark days” means those days when racing of the same type does not occur in an off-track State within 60 miles of an off-track betting office during a race meeting, including, but not limited to, a dark weekday when such racing association or associations run on Sunday, and days when a racing program is scheduled but does not take place, or cannot be completed due to weather, strikes and other factors not within the control of the off-track betting system;
(19)“year” means calendar year;
(20)“takeout” means that portion of a wager which is deducted from or not included in the parimutuel pool, and which is distributed to persons other than those placing wagers;
(21)“regular contractual process” means those negotiations by which the applicable horsemen’s group and host racing association reach agreements on issues regarding the conduct of horseracing by the horsemen’s group at that racing association;
(22)“terms and conditions” includes, but is not limited to, the percentage which is paid by the off-track betting system to the host racing association, the percentage which is paid by the host racing association to the horsemen’s group, as well as any arrangements as to the exclusivity between the host racing association and the off-track betting system.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2000—Par. (3). Pub. L. 106–553 inserted “and includes pari-mutuel wagers, where lawful in each State involved, placed or transmitted by an individual in one State via telephone or other electronic media and accepted by an off-track betting system in the same or another State, as well as the combination of any pari-mutuel wagering pools” after “another State”.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

15 U.S.C. § 3002

Title 15Commerce and Trade

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73