15 USC § 3001 - Congressional findings and policy

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t15/s3001"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "15 USC § 3001 - Congressional findings and policy"
title_number: 15
title_name: "COMMERCE AND TRADE"
section_number: "3001"
section_name: "Congressional findings and policy"
chapter_number: 57
chapter_name: "INTERSTATE HORSERACING"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 95–515, § 2, Oct. 25, 1978, 92 Stat. 1811.)"
---


# § 3001. Congressional findings and policy

**(a)** The Congress finds that—

**(1)** the States should have the primary responsibility for determining what forms of gambling may legally take place within their borders;

**(2)** the Federal Government should prevent interference by one State with the gambling policies of another, and should act to protect identifiable national interests; and

**(3)** in the limited area of interstate off-track wagering on horseraces, there is a need for Federal action to ensure States will continue to cooperate with one another in the acceptance of legal interstate wagers.

**(b)** It is the policy of the Congress in this chapter to regulate interstate commerce with respect to wagering on horseracing, in order to further the horseracing and legal off-track betting industries in the United States.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 95–515, § 2, Oct. 25, 1978, 92 Stat. 1811.)

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

> **“(a)** The provisions of this Act [this chapter] shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 25, 1978], and, except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, shall apply to any interstate off-track wager accepted on or after such date of enactment.
> 
> **“(b)**
> 
> **(1)** The provisions of this Act [this chapter] shall not apply to any interstate off-track wager which is accepted pursuant to a contract existing on May 1, 1978.
> 
> **“(2)** The provisions of this Act shall not apply to any form of legal non-parimutuel off-track betting existing in a State on May 1, 1978.
> 
> **“(3)** The provisions of subsection (b) of section 5 of this Act [section 3004(b) of this title] shall not apply to any parimutuel off-track betting system existing on May 1, 1978, in a State which does not conduct parimutuel horseracing on the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 25, 1978].”

, , , provided that:

### Short Title

> “This Act [enacting this chapter] may be cited as the ‘Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978’.”

, , , provided that: