Whoever gives, promises or offers to any professional or amateur baseball, football, basketball, hockey player or boxer or any player who participates in any professional or amateur game or sport or any jockey, driver, groom or any person participating in any horse race, including owners of racetracks and their employees, stewards, trainers, judges, starters, special policemen, any valuable thing with intent to influence him to lose or try to lose or cause to be lost a baseball, football, basketball or hockey game, boxing 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 who, being either a professional or amateur baseball, football, basketball, hockey player, boxer, or jockey, driver, or groom or participant in any sport or game solicits or accepts any valuable thing to influence him to lose or cause to be lost a baseball, football, basketball, hockey or boxing match, or horse race or any professional or amateur game or any professional or amateur sport in which he is taking part, or expects to take part, or has any duty or connection therewith, shall be guilty of a felony and, punishable by imprisonment for not less than one year, nor more than three years, or by a fine of not more than $1,000, or by both fine and imprisonment.