§1175 Specific Jurisdictions Within Which Manufacturing, Repairing, Selling, Possessing, Etc., Prohibited; Exceptions

Summary

It is illegal to make, fix, sell, move, have, or use any gambling device in the District of Columbia, in U.S. territories, in Indian country (as defined by law), or in the United States’ special maritime and territorial areas, including on ships documented under U.S. or foreign law. There are narrow ship-related exceptions. On a vessel outside the boundaries of any State or U.S. possession, you may repair, transport, possess, or use a gambling device. A device may stay on board while a ship is inside a State or possession if it was used lawfully on a part of the trip outside those boundaries. A voyage that starts in Indiana and stays in Indiana waters (including Lake Michigan) may have those activities. Voyages that both begin and end in Hawaii are not covered by the general ship exception. If a State has its own law banning repair or use on a voyage that starts and ends in that same State without stops elsewhere, the federal ship exception does not override that State law. For Alaska, vessels that provide sleeping space for all passengers and take trips that stop in Canada or another State, call at two different Alaska ports, and last at least 60 hours may have, repair, transport, possess, and use gambling devices on board, but Alaska may ban use while docked, anchored, or within 3 nautical miles of a scheduled port and may require devices to remain on board.