PENALIZING BETTING, GAME-FIXING OR POINT-SHAVING AND MACHINATIONS IN SPORTS CONTESTS.

• Number: Presidential Decree No. 483
• Sections: 8

Preamble

WHEREAS, the evil that is gambling has again shown its ugly

head in the recently-discovered game-fixing or point-shaving scandals

during sports contests;

WHEREAS, one of the objectives of the New Society is the

development and promotion of desirable moral and cultural values;

WHEREAS, there is urgent need to protect our youth and

sports programs and the morality of our society, especially the youth,

from the eroding influence of unscrupulous persons who, through

fraudulent schemes of game-fixing or point-shaving and other

machinations, have made basketball and other sports contests, games and

races their media of subverting the aims and goals of true Philippine

sportsmanship;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, by virtue of the

powers vested in me by the Constitution, and pursuant to Proclamations

No. 1081, dated September 21, 1972 and No. 1104, dated January 17, 1973;

and General Order No. 1, dated September 22, 1972, do hereby order and

decree that the following shall be part of the law of the land:

Section 1 Definitions.

SECTION. 1. Definitions.—For purposes of this Decree

the following terms shall mean and be understood to be as hereunder

indicated:

Betting.—betting money or any object or article of value

or representative of value upon the result of any game, races and other

sports contest.

Game-fixing.—any arrangement, combination, scheme or

agreement by which the result of any game, races or sports contests

shall be predicted and/or known other than on the basis of the honest

playing skill or ability of the players or participants.

Point-shaving.—any such arrangement, combination, scheme

or agreement by which the skill or ability of any player or participant

in a game, races or sports contests to make points or scores shall be

limited deliberately in order to influence the result thereof in favor

of one or the other team, player or participant therein.

Game machination.—Any other fraudulent, deceitful, unfair

or dishonest means, method, manner or practice employed for the

purpose of influencing the result of any game, races or sports contests.

Section 2 Betting, game-fixing, point-shaving or game machination unlawful.

SEC. 2. Betting, game-fixing, point-shaving or game

machination unlawful.—Game-fixing, point-shaving, machination, as

defined in the preceding section, in connection with the games of

basketball, volleyball, Softball, baseball; chess, boxing bouts, "jai

alai", "sipa", "pelota" and all other sports contests, games or races;

as well as betting therein except as may be authorized by law, is hereby

declared unlawful.

Section 3 Penalty.

SEC. 3. Penalty.—Any violation of this Decree, or of

the rules and regulations promulgated in accordance herewith, shall be

punished in the manner following:

When the offender is an official, such as promoter, referee,

umpire, judge, or coach in the game, race or sports contests, or the

manager or sponsor of any participating team, individual or player

therein, or participants or players in such games, races or other sports

contests, he shall, upon conviction, be punished by prison correccional

in its maximum period and a fine of P2,000 pesos with subsidiary

imprisonment in case of insolvency, at the discretion of the court. This

penalty shall also be imposed when the offenders compose a syndicate of

five or more persons.

In case of any other offender, he shall, upon conviction, be

punished by prision correccional in its medium period and a fine of

1,000 pesos with subsidiary imprisonment in case of insolvency at the

discretion of the court.

When the offender is an official or employee of any government

office or agency concerned with the enforcement or administration of

laws and regulations on sports the penalty provided for in the preceding

Section 4 Clearance for arrest, detention or prosecution.

SEC. 4. Clearance for arrest, detention or prosecution.—

No person who voluntarily discloses or denounces to the President of

the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation or to the National Sports

Association concerned and/or to any law enforcement/police authority any

of the acts penalized by this Decree shall be arrested, detained and/or

prosecuted except upon prior written clearance from the President of

the Philippines and/or of the Secretary of National Defense.

Section 5 Repealing Clause.

SEC. 5. Repealing Clause.—Article 197 of Act No.

3815, otherwise known as the Revised Penal Code, as amended, all

provisions of decrees, general orders, letters of instructions, laws,

executive orders and rules and regulations which are inconsistent with

this Decree are hereby repealed.

Section 6 Effectivity.

SEC. 6. Effectivity.—This Decree shall take effect

immediately upon publication thereof by the Secretary of the Department

of Public Information at least once in a newspaper of general

circulation.

Done in the City of Manila, this 13th day of June, in the year

of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-four.

(Sgd.)

FERDINAND E. MARCOS

President of the Philippines

By the President:

(Sgd.)

ALEJANDRO MELCHOR

Executive Secretary

Section 3

Section 3a shall be imposed. In addition, he shall be disqualified from

holding any public office or employment for life. If he is an alien, he

may be deported.