Whoever shall in the District set up or keep any gaming table, or any house, vessel, or place, on land or water, for the purpose of gaming, or gambling device commonly called A B C, faro bank, E O, roulette, equality, keno, thimbles, or little joker, or any kind of gaming table or gambling device adapted, devised, and designed for the purpose of playing any game of chance for money or property, or shall induce, entice, and permit any person to bet or play at or upon any such gaming table or gambling device, or on the side of or against the keeper thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment for a term of not more than 5 years and, in addition, may be fined not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01. For the purposes of this section, the term “gambling device” shall not include slot machines manufactured before 1952, intended for exhibition or private use by the owner, and not used for gambling purposes. The term “slot machine” means a mechanical device, an essential part of which is a drum or reel which bears an insignia and which when operated may deliver, as a result of the application of an element of chance, a token, money, or property, or by operation of which a person may become entitled to receive, as a result of this application of an element of chance, a token, money, or property.

(Mar. 3, 1901, 31 Stat. 1331, ch. 854, § 865; Jan. 26, 1982, D.C. Law 4-59, § 2, 28 DCR 4766; June 11, 2013, D.C. Law 19-317, § 303(p), 60 DCR 2064.)

1981 Ed., § 22-1504.

1973 Ed., § 22-1504.

This section is referenced in § 22-1702, § 22-1705, and § 22-1707.

The 2013 amendment by D.C. Law 19-317 added “and, in addition, may be fined not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01” at the end of the first sentence.

Search warrants, see § 23-521 et seq.

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 3 of Games of Skill Consumer Protection Emergency Amendment Act of 2020 (D.C. Act 23-229, Feb. 27, 2020, 0 DCR 0).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 303(p) of the Criminal Fine Proportionality Emergency Act of 2013 (D.C. Act 20-45, April 1, 2013, 60 DCR 5400, 20 DCSTAT 1300).

Applicability of D.C. Law 19-317: Section 401 of D.C. Law 19-317 provided that the act shall apply only to offenses committed on or after June 11, 2013.