18 USC § 1302 - Mailing lottery tickets or related matter

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t18/s1302"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "18 USC § 1302 - Mailing lottery tickets or related matter"
title_number: 18
title_name: "CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE"
section_number: "1302"
section_name: "Mailing lottery tickets or related matter"
chapter_number: 61
chapter_name: "LOTTERIES"
part_number: "I"
part_name: "CRIMES"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-21"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 762; Oct. 31, 1951, ch. 655, § 29, 65 Stat. 721; Pub. L. 87–218, § 2, Sept. 13, 1961, 75 Stat. 492; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(H), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)"
---


# § 1302. Mailing lottery tickets or related matter

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;section 1953 of this title

Any article described in —

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.

---

**Source Credit**: (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 762; Oct. 31, 1951, ch. 655, § 29, 65 Stat. 721; Pub. L. 87–218, § 2, Sept. 13, 1961, 75 Stat. 492; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(H), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)

### Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 336 (, ).

Reference to persons causing or procuring was omitted as unnecessary in view of definition of “principal” in .

Venue provision was omitted as covered by sections 3231 and 3237 of this title.

Minor changes were made in arrangement and phraseology.

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1994— substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $1,000” in last par.

1961— inserted sixth par., relating to articles described in .

1951—Act , substituted a colon for a semicolon at end of opening clause.