Bill Text: CA AB58 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: Sports betting pools.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2009-08-06 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 72, Statutes of 2009. [AB58 Detail]
Download: California-2009-AB58-Chaptered.html
BILL NUMBER: AB 58 CHAPTERED
BILL TEXT
CHAPTER 72
FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE AUGUST 6, 2009
APPROVED BY GOVERNOR AUGUST 5, 2009
PASSED THE SENATE JUNE 29, 2009
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY MAY 14, 2009
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Jeffries
DECEMBER 5, 2008
An act to amend Section 337a of, and to add Section 336.9 to, the
Penal Code, relating to sports betting pools.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 58, Jeffries. Sports betting pools.
Existing law makes it either a misdemeanor or a felony, punishable
by imprisonment in either a county jail or in the state prison, for
a person, whether or not for gain, hire, or reward, to make a betting
pool or place a bet or wager on the result of any contest or event,
including a sporting event, as specified.
This bill would create an exception to that provision, making it
an infraction, punishable by a fine not to exceed $250, for a person,
not for gain, hire, or reward, other than that at stake under
conditions available to every participant, to participate in a bet,
wager, or betting pool with another person or group of persons who
are not acting for gain, hire, or reward other than that at stake
under conditions available to every participant, on the result of any
contest or event, including a sporting event, as specified. This
exception would not apply to any bet, bets, wager, wagers, or betting
pool or pools made online or to betting pools with more than $2,500
at stake.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 336.9 is added to the Penal Code, to read:
336.9. (a) Notwithstanding Section 337a, and except as provided
in subdivision (b) any person who, not for gain, hire, or reward
other than that at stake under conditions available to every
participant, knowingly participates in any of the ways specified in
paragraph (2), (3), (4), (5), or (6) of subdivision (a) of Section
337a in any bet, bets, wager, wagers, or betting pool or pools made
between the person and any other person or group of persons who are
not acting for gain, hire, or reward, other than that at stake under
conditions available to every participant, upon the result of any
lawful trial, or purported trial, or contest, or purported contest,
of skill, speed, or power of endurance of person or animal, or
between persons, animals, or mechanical apparatus, is guilty of an
infraction, punishable by a fine not to exceed two hundred fifty
dollars ($250).
(b) Subdivision (a) does not apply to either of the following
situations:
(1) Any bet, bets, wager, wagers, or betting pool or pools made
online.
(2) Betting pools with more than twenty-five hundred dollars
($2,500) at stake.
SEC. 2. Section 337a of the Penal Code is amended to read:
337a. (a) Except as provided in Section 336.9, every person who
engages in one of the following offenses, shall be punished for a
first offense by imprisonment in a county jail for a period of not
more than one year or in the state prison, or by a fine not to exceed
five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by both imprisonment and fine:
(1) Pool selling or bookmaking, with or without writing, at any
time or place.
(2) Whether for gain, hire, reward, or gratuitously, or otherwise,
keeps or occupies, for any period of time whatsoever, any room,
shed, tenement, tent, booth, building, float, vessel, place, stand or
enclosure, of any kind, or any part thereof, with a book or books,
paper or papers, apparatus, device or paraphernalia, for the purpose
of recording or registering any bet or bets, any purported bet or
bets, wager or wagers, any purported wager or wagers, selling pools,
or purported pools, upon the result, or purported result, of any
trial, purported trial, contest, or purported contest, of skill,
speed or power of endurance of person or animal, or between persons,
animals, or mechanical apparatus, or upon the result, or purported
result, of any lot, chance, casualty, unknown or contingent event
whatsoever.
(3) Whether for gain, hire, reward, or gratuitously, or otherwise,
receives, holds, or forwards, or purports or pretends to receive,
hold, or forward, in any manner whatsoever, any money, thing or
consideration of value, or the equivalent or memorandum thereof,
staked, pledged, bet or wagered, or to be staked, pledged, bet or
wagered, or offered for the purpose of being staked, pledged, bet or
wagered, upon the result, or purported result, of any trial, or
purported trial, or contest, or purported contest, of skill, speed or
power of endurance of person or animal, or between persons, animals,
or mechanical apparatus, or upon the result, or purported result, of
any lot, chance, casualty, unknown or contingent event whatsoever.
(4) Whether for gain, hire, reward, or gratuitously, or otherwise,
at any time or place, records, or registers any bet or bets, wager
or wagers, upon the result, or purported result, of any trial, or
purported trial, or contest, or purported contest, of skill, speed or
power of endurance of person or animal, or between persons, animals,
or mechanical apparatus, or upon the result, or purported result, of
any lot, chance, casualty, unknown or contingent event whatsoever.
(5) Being the owner, lessee or occupant of any room, shed,
tenement, tent, booth, building, float, vessel, place, stand,
enclosure or grounds, or any part thereof, whether for gain, hire,
reward, or gratuitously, or otherwise, permits that space to be used
or occupied for any purpose, or in any manner prohibited by paragraph
(1), (2), (3), or (4).
(6) Lays, makes, offers or accepts any bet or bets, or wager or
wagers, upon the result, or purported result, of any trial, or
purported trial, or contest, or purported contest, of skill, speed or
power of endurance of person or animal, or between persons, animals,
or mechanical apparatus.
(b) In any accusatory pleading charging a violation of this
section, if the defendant has been once previously convicted of a
violation of any subdivision of this section, the previous conviction
shall be charged in the accusatory pleading, and, if the previous
conviction is found to be true by the jury, upon a jury trial, or by
the court, upon a court trial, or is admitted by the defendant, the
defendant shall, if he or she is not imprisoned in the state prison,
be imprisoned in the county jail for a period of not more than one
year and pay a fine of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000)
and not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000). Nothing in this
paragraph shall prohibit a court from placing a person subject to
this subdivision on probation. However, that person shall be required
to pay a fine of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) nor
more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) or be imprisoned in the
county jail for a period of not more than one year, as a condition
thereof. In no event does the court have the power to absolve a
person convicted pursuant to this subdivision from either being
imprisoned or from paying a fine of not less than one thousand
dollars ($1,000) and not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000).
(c) In any accusatory pleading charging a violation of this
section, if the defendant has been previously convicted two or more
times of a violation of any subdivision of this section, each
previous conviction shall be charged in the accusatory pleadings. If
two or more of the previous convictions are found to be true by the
jury, upon a jury trial, or by the court, upon a court trial, or are
admitted by the defendant, the defendant shall, if he or she is not
imprisoned in the state prison, be imprisoned in the county jail for
a period of not more than one year or pay a fine of not less than one
thousand dollars ($1,000) nor more than fifteen thousand dollars
($15,000), or be punished by both imprisonment and fine. Nothing in
this paragraph shall prohibit a court from placing a person subject
to this subdivision on probation. However, that person shall be
required to pay a fine of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000)
nor more than fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000), or be imprisoned
in the county jail for a period of not more than one year as a
condition thereof. In no event does the court have the power to
absolve a person convicted and subject to this subdivision from
either being imprisoned or from paying a fine of not more than
fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).
(d) Except where the existence of a previous conviction of any
subdivision of this section was not admitted or not found to be true
pursuant to this section, or the court finds that a prior conviction
was invalid, the court shall not strike or dismiss any prior
convictions alleged in the information or indictment.
(e) This section applies not only to persons who commit any of the
acts designated in paragraphs (1) to (6), inclusive, of subdivision
(a), as a business or occupation, but also applies to every person
who in a single instance engages in any one of the acts specified in
paragraphs (1) to (6), inclusive, of subdivision (a).
