# Organized Crime Control Act of 1970, Title VIII, Part C: Illegal Gambling Business (18 U.S.C. 1955), 84 Stat. 937

Canonical: https://mobfiles.org/items/statutes-at-large-84-stat-937-illegal-gambling-business/

Section 803 of the 1970 Act added 18 U.S.C. 1955, which made it a federal crime to conduct, finance, manage, supervise, direct or own an illegal gambling business of five or more persons operating more than thirty days or grossing $2,000 in a day.

Title VIII of the Organized Crime Control Act deals with syndicated gambling. Its Part C, "Illegal Gambling Business", section 803, adds section 1955, "Prohibition of illegal gambling businesses", to chapter 95 of title 18.

Section 1955(a) reads: "Whoever conducts, finances, manages, supervises, directs, or […] owns all or part of an illegal gambling business shall be fined not more than $20,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both." (84 Stat. 937.) An "illegal gambling business" is one that violates the law of the State or political subdivision where it is conducted, "involves five or more persons who conduct, finance, manage, supervise, direct, or own all or part of such business", and "has been or remains in substantially continuous operation for a period in excess of thirty days or has a gross revenue of $2,000 in any single day." "Gambling" includes "pool-selling, bookmaking, maintaining slot machines, roulette wheels or dice tables, and conducting lotteries, policy, bolita or numbers games".

The page number 937 is inferred from the running heads in the govinfo text layer. Section 1955 is listed in the same Act's RICO definition of racketeering activity. The FBI's 1954 to 1971 history essay refers to "illegal gambling laws" in general and does not name this section.

## Sources

- U.S. Government Publishing Office (govinfo), United States Statutes at Large, vol. 84: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-84/pdf/STATUTE-84-Pg922-3.pdf
- FBI, History of the FBI: And Justice for All, 1954-1971: https://www.fbi.gov/history/history-of-the-fbi/and-justice-for-all