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| Other short titles | Interstate Anti-Crime Act |
|---|---|
| Long title | An Act to amend chapter 50 of title 18, United States Code, with respect to the transmission of bets, wagers, and related information. |
| Nicknames | Interstate Wire Act of 1961 |
| Enacted by | the 87th United States Congress |
| Effective | September 13, 1961 |
| Citations | |
| Public law | 87-216 |
| Statutes at Large | 75 Stat. 491 |
| Codification | |
| Titles amended | 18 U.S.C.: Crimes and Criminal Procedure |
| U.S.C. sections amended | 18 U.S.C. ch. 50 § 1081 et seq. |
| Legislative history | |
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The Interstate Wire Act of 1961, often called the Federal Wire Act, is a United States federal law prohibiting the operation of certain types of betting businesses in the United States. It begins with the text:
Whoever being engaged in the business of betting or wagering knowingly uses a wire communication facility for the transmission in interstate or foreign commerce of bets or wagers or information assisting in the placing of bets or wagers on any sporting event or contest, or for the transmission of a wire communication which entitles the recipient to receive money or credit as a result of bets or wagers, or for information assisting in the placing of bets or wagers, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.[1]
Several legal opinions and rulings have discussed whether forms of gambling other than sports betting fall within the Act's scope.