2993. Receiving or Holding Bets

The defendant is charged [in Count ______] with (receiving[,]/ [or] holding[,]/ [or] forwarding) bets.

To prove that the defendant is guilty of this crime, the People must prove that:

1. The defendant (received[,]/ [or] held[,]/ [or] forwarded) money [or something valuable];

AND

2. The defendant knew that it was given to (him/her) as a bet.

A bet is a wager or agreement between two or more people that if an uncertain future event happens, the loser will (pay money to the winner/ [or] give the winner something of value). [A bet includes a wager made on the outcome of any actual or purported event, including but not limited to any kind of sporting contest [or <insert description of event from Pen. Code, § 337a>.] [It is not necessary that the event that was bet on actually take place.]

Bench Notes

Instructional Duty

The court has a sua sponte duty to give this instruction defining the elements of the crime.

Authority

Elements. Pen. Code, § 337a, subd. 3; People v. Gaspard (1960) 177 Cal.App.2d 487, 488 [2 Cal.Rptr. 193].

Must Receive Money or Thing of Value. People v. Gaspard (1960) 177 Cal.App.2d 487, 488 [2 Cal.Rptr. 193]; People v. Chavez (1950) 100 Cal.App.2d 356, 359 [223 P.2d 663].

Bet Defined. People v. Oreck (1946) 74 Cal.App.2d 215, 220 [168 P.2d 186].

Event Need Not Occur. People v. Chavez (1950) 100 Cal.App.2d 356, 359 [223 P.2d 663].

Secondary Sources

2 Witkin & Epstein, California Criminal Law (3d ed. 2000), Crimes Against Public Peace and Welfare, § 281.

Related Issues

Cash Not Required

A bet does not require that the defendant receive cash. (People v. Raze (1949) 91 Cal.App.2d 918, 922 [205 P.2d 1062].) It is sufficient if the defendant received something of value equivalent to money. (Ibid.)

(New January 2006)