§1302 — Title 18 Crimes and Criminal Procedure | U.S. Code

Summary

Sending or putting in the U.S. mail certain lottery-related things while knowing what they are is a crime. That includes mail about lotteries or “gift” schemes that give prizes by chance; actual tickets or papers that act like tickets; money orders, checks, or other payments sent to buy tickets or chances; ads or publications that promote lotteries or list prizes; and other similar items federal law bans from the mail. A person who does this can be fined or jailed for up to 2 years, or both. If they do it again later, they can be jailed for up to 5 years.

Title 18, §1302

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Whoever knowingly deposits in the mail, or sends or delivers by mail: Any letter, package, postal card, or circular concerning any lottery, gift enterprise, or similar scheme offering prizes dependent in whole or in part upon lot or chance; Any lottery ticket or part thereof, or paper, certificate, or instrument purporting to be or to represent a ticket, chance, share, or interest in or dependent upon the event of a lottery, gift enterprise, or similar scheme offering prizes dependent in whole or in part upon lot or chance; Any check, draft, bill, money, postal note, or money order, for the purchase of any ticket or part thereof, or of any share or chance in any such lottery, gift enterprise, or scheme; Any newspaper, circular, pamphlet, or publication of any kind containing any advertisement of any lottery, gift enterprise, or scheme of any kind offering prizes dependent in whole or in part upon lot or chance, or containing any list of the prizes drawn or awarded by means of any such lottery, gift enterprise, or scheme, whether said list contains any part or all of such prizes; Any article described in section 1953 of this title— Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both; and for any subsequent offense shall be imprisoned not more than five years.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 336 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 213, 35 Stat. 1129). Reference to persons causing or procuring was omitted as unnecessary in view of definition of “principal” in section 2 of this title. Venue provision was omitted as covered by section 3231 and 3237 of this title. Minor changes were made in arrangement and phraseology.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $1,000” in last par. 1961—Pub. L. 87–218 inserted sixth par., relating to articles described in section 1953 of this title. 1951—Act Oct. 31, 1951, substituted a colon for a semicolon at end of opening clause.

§1302 Mailing lottery tickets or related matter