Title 15, Commerce and TradeRelease 119-102
§1178 Nonapplicability of Chapter to Certain Machines and Devices
Title 15 › CHAPTER 24 — TRANSPORTATION OF GAMBLING DEVICES › § 1178
Summary
Removes three kinds of machines from the chapter: machines made mainly for racetrack parimutuel betting; mechanical amusement devices (like coin-operated bowling, pinball, shuffleboard, or mechanical guns) that aren’t mainly for gambling and don’t award money or property by chance; and non-coin, crank-operated claw, crane, or digger machines made mainly for carnivals or fairs.
Full Legal Text
Title 15, §1178
Commerce and Trade, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
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.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
Section effective on sixtieth day after Oct. 18, 1962, see section 7 of Pub. L. 87–840, set out as an
Effective Date
of 1962 Amendment note under section 1171 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
15 U.S.C. § 1178
Title 15, Commerce and Trade
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102