(a) It shall be unlawful to pay or give, or to agree to pay or give, or to promise or offer, any valuable thing to any individual:

(1) With intent to influence such individual to lose or cause to be lost, or to attempt to lose or cause to be lost, or to limit or attempt to limit such individual or his or her team’s margin of victory or score in, any professional or amateur athletic contest in which such individual is or may be a contestant or participant; or

(2) With intent to influence such individual, in the case of any professional or amateur athletic contest in connection with which such individual (as a manager, coach, owner, second, jockey, trainer, handler, groom, or otherwise) has or will have any duty or responsibility with respect to a contestant, participant, or team who or which is engaging or may engage therein, to cause or attempt to cause:

(A) The loss of such athletic contest by such contestant, participant, or team; or

(B) The margin of victory or score of such contestant, participant, or team to be limited; or

(3) With intent to influence such individual, in the case of any professional or amateur athletic contest in connection with which such individual is to be or may be a referee, judge, umpire, linesman, starter, timekeeper, or other similar official, to cause or attempt to cause:

(A) The loss of such athletic contest by any contestant, participant, or team who or which is engaging or may engage therein; or

(B) The margin of victory or score of any such contestant, participant, or team to be limited.

(b) It shall be unlawful for any individual to solicit or accept, or to agree to accept, any valuable thing or a promise or offer of any valuable thing:

(1) To influence such individual to lose or cause to be lost, or to attempt to lose or cause to be lost, or to limit or attempt to limit such individual or his or her team’s margin of victory or score in, any professional or amateur athletic contest in which such individual is or may be a contestant or participant; or

(2) To influence such individual, in the case of any professional or amateur athletic contest in connection with which such individual (as a manager, coach, owner, second, jockey, trainer, handler, groom, or otherwise) has or will have any duty or responsibility with respect to a contestant, participant, or team who or which is engaging or may engage therein, to cause or attempt to cause:

(A) The loss of such athletic contest by such contestant, participant, or team; or

(B) The margin of victory or score of such contestant, participant, or team to be limited; or

(3) To influence such individual, in the case of any professional or amateur athletic contest in connection with which such individual is to be or may be a referee, judge, umpire, linesman, starter, timekeeper, or other similar official, to cause or attempt to cause:

(A) The loss of such athletic contest by any contestant, participant, or team who or which is engaging or may engage therein; or

(B) The margin of victory or score of any such contestant, participant, or team to be limited.

(c) Whoever violates any provision of subsection (a) of this section shall be guilty of a felony, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than 1 year nor more than 5 years and by a fine of not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01.

(d) Whoever violates any provision of subsection (b) of this section shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by imprisonment for not more than 1 year and by a fine of not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01.

(e) As used in this section, the term “athletic contest” means any of the following, wherever held or to be held: a football, baseball, softball, basketball, hockey, or polo game, or a tennis or wrestling match, or a prize fight or boxing match, or a horse race or any other athletic or sporting event or contest.

(f) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the giving or offering of any bonus or extra compensation to any manager, coach, or professional player, or to any league, association, or conference for the purpose of encouraging such manager, coach, or player to a higher degree of skill, ability, or diligence in the performance of his or her duties.

(Mar. 3, 1901, ch. 854, § 869e; July 11, 1947, 61 Stat. 313, ch. 230; Dec. 27, 1967, 81 Stat. 737, Pub. L. 90-226, title VI, § 604; May 21, 1994, D.C. Law 10-119, § 2(n), 41 DCR 1639; June 11, 2013, D.C. Law 19-317, § 201(t), 60 DCR 2064.)

1981 Ed., § 22-1513.

1973 Ed., § 22-1513.

This section is referenced in § 23-546.

The 2013 amendment by D.C. Law 19-317 substituted “not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01” for “not more than $10,000” in (c) and for “not more than $5,000” in (d).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 201(t) 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.