In force, Feb.[February] 15, 1839.
AN ACT to prohibit betting on elections.
1Persons betting liable to indictment.
Fine.
Sec.[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That if any person shall at any time hereafter bet, or wager, any money, property,
or other valuable thing, upon the result of any election which may be held under the
constitution or laws of this State, or shall bet, or wager, money, property, or other valuable thing, upon the number
of votes which may be given to any one or more persons, at any election held as aforesaid,
or upon who will receive the greatest number of votes at any such election, or if
any person shall agree to pay, to any other person, any money, property, or other
valuable thing, in the event that any election as aforesaid shall result in one way,
or in the event that any one or more persons shall or shall not be elected, or shall
receive a greater number of votes than others, such person shall be liable to indictment,
and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined in any sum not exceeding one thousand dollars.
Proof of offence.
Sec. 2. It shall not be necessary to the commission of the offence specified in the foregoing
section, that the money, property, or valuable thing, bet or wagered, shall be exhibited or
staked at the time of making such bet or wager, or at any other time.
Approved, February 15, 1839.
1In response to a resolution passed by the Senate on December 20, 1938, requesting legislation prohibiting betting on elections, William Thomas introduced SB 48 on December 29, 1838. The Senate passed the bill on January 17, 1839. The House of Representatives proposed an amendment and referred the bill and amendment to the Committee on Elections
on January 25. The committee reported back on January 31 and recommended against the
amendment and the House laid the bill on the table. The next day, the House took up
the bill again and voted against the amendment by a vote of 63 yeas to 20 nays, Abraham Lincoln voting nay. The House then voted the bill to a third reading, which passed by a vote
of 48 yeas to 37 nays, Lincoln voting nay. The House passed the bill on February 9
by a vote of 46 yeas to 35 nays, Lincoln voting yea. The Council of Revision approved the bill on February 15 and the act became law.
Journal of the House of Representatives (Vandalia, IL: William Walters, 1838), 232, 283, 317, 318-19, 371, 395, 402; Journal of the Senate (Vandalia, IL: William Walters, 1838), 97, 121, 128, 183-184, 308, 332, 341.
Printed Document, 1 page(s), Laws of the State of Illinois, Passed by the Eleventh General Assembly (Vandalia, IL: William Walters, 1839), 109, GA Session: 11-1,