Section 337a.
Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 337a.
in effect(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).
References
referencesCal. Penal Code - PEN § 336.9.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026