§ 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.