SECTION 39A. Gifts to influence action of participants in, and others connected with, a game or contest

Whoever gives, promises or offers to any professional or amateur baseball, football, hockey, polo, tennis or basketball player or any boxer or any player who participates or expects to participate in any professional or amateur game or sport or any jockey, driver or groom or any person participating or expecting to participate in any horse race, including owners of race tracks and their employees, stewards, trainers, judges, starters or special policemen, or to any manager, coach or trainer of any team or participant or prospective participant in any such game, contest or sport, any valuable thing with intent to influence him to lose, or try to lose, or cause to be lost, or to limit his or his team's margin of victory in, a baseball, football, hockey or basketball game, boxing, tennis or polo match or a horse race or any professional or amateur sport, or game, in which such player or participant or jockey or driver, is taking part or expects to take part, or has any duty or connection therewith, or whoever, being a professional or amateur baseball, football, hockey, basketball, tennis or polo player, boxer, or jockey, driver, or groom or participant or prospective participant in any sport or game or a manager, coach or trainer of any team or individual participant or prospective participant in any such game, contest or sport, solicits or accepts any valuable thing to influence him to lose, or try to lose, or cause to be lost, or to limit his or his team's margin of victory in, a baseball, football, hockey or basketball game or boxing, tennis or polo match, or horse race or any game of sport in which he is taking part, or expects to take part, or has any duty or connection therewith, shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than two years, or both.