I hereby give My Sanction to the Local Horse Race Law, approved by the Imperial Diet and cause the same to be promulgated.
Signed:HIROHITO, Seal of the Emperor
This nineteenth day of the eleventh month of the twenty-first year of Showa (November 19, 1946)
Countersigned: Prime Minister YOSHIDA Shigeru
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry WADA Hiroo
The Local Horse Race Law
Article 1. With a view to promoting the development of horse breeding, the Union of Horse Associations (including such Horse Associations as having prefectural areas under their jurisdiction. The same applies hereinafter), having under its jurisdiction the administrative extent of Tokyo-metropolis, Hokkaido or other prefectures, may hold horse-racing in accordance with the provisions of this Law, upon obtaining the permission from the competent Minister.
The Horse Affairs Organization mentioned in Article 12 may hold horse-racing mentioned in the preceding paragraph in accordance with the provisions of the Ordinance, upon obtaining the permission from the competent Minister.
Article 2. When a person intends to hold a horse-race in accordance with the provisions of the present Law, such a person as is responsible for the race, shall, in accordance with the provisions of the Ordinance, report to the prefectural governor to that effect.
Article 3. The number of race courses on which the horse race is to be held in accordance with this Law, shall be no more than three in Hokkaido, one in Tokyo-Metropolis and one in each prefecture.
Article 4. Only the horses which have been bred in the area under jurisdiction of the Union of Horse Association which is responsible for the racing and in the area stipulated in the ordinance for the period specified by Ordinance are qualified to enter the race.
The provisions concerning the area in the preceding paragraph shall not apply to such horse-racings as stipulated in Article 1, paragraph 2.
Article 5. The horse-race shall not be held more than four times a year at each race course; provided that, when the permission of the competent Minister is obtained, the horse-race may be held more than four times a year.
Article 6. The duration of horse races in each term shall not exceed six days.
Article 7. Admission fees shall be charged for attendance when the racing is held. However, those persons specifically exempted therefrom by the approval of prefectural governor, shall not be charged admission fees.
Article 8. The person who holds the horse-race may sell betting tickets for the winners up to ten yen per unit at their face value to the spectators admitted into the race course.
Article 9. No betting tickets shall be sold to the staff of the juridical person who is responsible for such race, nor to their executive officials in charge of such race, nor to the jockeys taking part in the race, nor to any other persons as engaging in affairs connected with the racing.
Article 10. Holders of winning tickets shall be refunded in accordance with the provisions of the Ordinance, within the limit of the receipts from the sale of such tickets for the said race, provided that the amount shall not be more than one hundred times the face value of the betting ticket.
The proceeds, in case there are no holders of winning tickets, and the surplus produced by the provisions of the proviso of the preceding paragraph, shall be refunded to the buyers of the betting tickets, in accordance with the provisions of the Ordinance.
The claim for refundment under the preceding two paragraphs, shall become anulled by prescription, when it is not exercised for full one year.
Article 11. The person who holds the horse-race may receive as his income the sum not exceeding 25 per cent of the proceeds from sale of the betting tickets, upon obtaining approval of the competent Minister.
Article 12. In the case of the preceding Article, the person who holds the horse-race shall pay to the Horse Affairs Organization of Japan, which is organized by the Unions of Horse Associations as a juridical person for public benefit, and which covers the whole area of Japan, specified sums in accordance with the provisions of the Ordinance.
Article 13. No local taxes shall be imposed on the establishment or maintenance of horse-race courses, on the registration of participation of a race-horse or participation of a race-horse in a race, on the attendance to the horse race, on the sale or purchase of betting tickets, on the payment or receipt of refundment or horse-race prize, nor on any other matters concerning the holding or opening of a horse-race.
Article 14. The competent Minister, when he deems it necessary from the viewpoint of public benefit, may order alterations in the equipments of horse-race courses or issue necessary orders concerning the holding or the opening of a horse-race, to the person who has obtained the permission stipulated in Article 1.
Article 15. If the competent Minister considers that the action of the person who holds the horse-race or of his staffs, or of the executive staffs in charge of the horse race, contravenes Laws and Ordinances or administrative measures taken in accordance therewith or is or may be prejudicial to the public interests, he may take the following measures:
1. Cancellation of the permission stipulated in Article 1.
2. Suspension of the horse-race.
3. Suspension or restriction of the sale of betting tickets.
4. Suspension of the functions of the executive staffs.
Article 16. Persons who fall under one of the following items, shall be liable to a penal servitude not exceeding three years or to a Fine not exceeding 3,000 yen or liable to both punishments:
1. Persons who have sold betting tickets without permission stipultated in Article 1 or effected transactions similar thereto.
2. Persons who have sold betting tickets in violation of the suspension or restriction mentioned in Article 15, item 3.
3. Persons who have transacted, as a business, the betting of money or other property with a number of persons as the other party on the outcome of a horse-race to be held by virtue of the provisions of the present Law.
4. Persons who are enumerated in Article 9 and who have made themselves the other party in the action mentioned in the preceding item.
Article 17. Any person who has committed an act of violence or intimidation upon the executive staff in charge of the horse-race, shall be liable to a penal servitude not exceeding two years or to a fine not exceeding 2,000 yen.
In case the offences contemplated in the preceding paragraph are committed by showing the force of a group or mass of people, or by showing the force by pretending to have a group or mass of people, behind him, or by showing dangerous weapons, or in concert with several persons, shall be liable to a penal servitude not exceeding three years or to a fine not exceeding 3,000 yen.
Article 18. Any person who falls under one of the following items shall be liable to a fine not exceeding 2,000 yen:
1. Persons who have sold betting tickets to persons enumerated in Article 9, knowing that they fall under the provisions of the said Article.
2. Persons who are enumerated in Article 9 and who have bought or received betting tickets.
3. Persons who have made refundment in violation of the limitation prescribed in Article 10, paragraph 1.
4. Persons who have become the other party of the actions stipulated in Article 16, paragraphs 1, to 3 inclusive.
Article 19. Any person who falls under one of the following items shall be liable to a fine not exceeding 200 yen:
1. Persons who made the entrance in a race of a horse which has no qualifications as specified in Article 4.
2. Persons who have received payment of refundment in violation of the limitation stipulated in Article 10, paragraph 1.
Article 20. In case the staffs of the juridical person who holds the said horse-race, or the executive staffs in charge of the horse-race have received, demanded or promised a bribe, they shall be liable to a penal servitude not exceeding two years. Consequently such staff who has committed an unjust act or neglected to do what he has to do, shall be liable to a penal servitude not exceeding 5 years.
In the case of the preceding paragraph, the bribe received shall be confiscated. In case it is impossible to confiscate the whole or a part of the said bribe, the amount of money equal thereto shall be collected.
Article 21. Any person who has paid, offered or promised a bribe to those enumerated in the preceding Article, paragraph 1, shall he liable to a penal servitude not exceeding two years or to a fine not exceeding 2,000 yen.
In case the person who has committed the offences stipulated in the preceding paragraph has surrendered himself to justice, such person may get the reduction of the penalty to be imposed or may be totally exempted from the penalty.
Article 22. When the staffs of the juridical person who are responsible for the holding of the horse race, or the executive staffs in charge of horse-race, have violated the orders of the competent Minister, issued in accordance with the provisions of Article 15, paragraph 4, they shall be liable to a fine not exceeding 1,000 yen.
The provisions of Articles 206 to 208 inclusive of the Non-legal Procedure Law, shall apply mutatis mutandis to the fine contemplated in the preceding paragraph.
Article 23. No income or business tax, shall be imposed on the income received by the person who holds horse-race in accordance with the provisions of the present Law.
Supplementary Provisions:
The present Law shall come into force as from the day of its promulgation.
The following amendments are made to the Parimutual Ticket Tax Law:
In Art.1, "or the Local Horse Race Law" shall be added to "the Horse Race Law" and "or the race of trained horses under the Law for the Protection of Military Horse Resources" shall be deleted.
In Art.2, "the Law for the Protection of Military Horses Resources" shall read "the Local Horse Race Law" and "the betting ticket for the winners (yuto-bahyo)" shall read "the betting ticket for the winner (yusho-bahyo)."
In Art.3, "the betting ticket for the winners (yuto-bahyo)" shall read "the betting ticket for the winner (yusho-bahyo)."
In Art.4, par.1, "under the Horse Race Law" shall read "as prescribed in Article 1," and "or the race of trained horses under the Law for the Protection of Military Horse Resources." and "or the race of trained horses" shall be deleted.
In Art.5 "or the race of trained horses" shall be deleted.
In Arts.6 and 7, "under the Horse Race Law" shall read "as prescribed in Art.1" and "or the race of trained horses under the Law for the protection of Military Horse Resources" shall be deleted.