Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73
§1303 Postmaster or employee as lottery agent 11 Section catchline was not amended to conform to change made in the text by Pub. L. 91–375.
Title 18 › Part PART I— - CRIMES › Chapter CHAPTER 61— - LOTTERIES › § 1303
Summary
Postal Service officers and employees must not act for lotteries, sell lottery tickets (even if disguised as a purchase), or knowingly mail or deliver ads, tickets, certificates, or prize lists for lotteries or similar chance-based prize schemes. Breaking this rule can lead to a fine, up to one year in jail, or both.
Full Legal Text
Title 18, §1303
Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Whoever, being an officer or employee of the Postal Service, acts as agent for any lottery office, or under color of purchase or otherwise, vends lottery tickets, or knowingly sends by mail or delivers any letter, package, postal card, circular, or pamphlet advertising any lottery, gift enterprise, or similar scheme, offering prizes dependent in whole or in part upon lot or chance, or any ticket, certificate, or instrument representing any chance, share, or interest in or dependent upon the event of any lottery, gift enterprise, or similar scheme offering prizes dependent in whole or in part upon lot or chance, or any list of the prizes awarded by means of any such scheme, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18 U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 337 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 214, 35 Stat. 1130). Minor changes were made in phraseology.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $100”. 1970—Pub. L. 91–375 substituted “an officer or employee of the Postal Service” for “a postmaster or other person employed in the Postal Service”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1970 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 91–375 effective within 1 year after Aug. 12, 1970, on date established thereby by the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service and published by it in the Federal Register, see section 15(a) of Pub. L. 91–375, set out as an
Effective Date
note preceding section 101 of Title 39, Postal Service.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
18 U.S.C. § 1303
Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73