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Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Part I · Chapter 61 — Lotteries

§ 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.

Statutory text

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

Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.

  1. Pub. L. 80–645 · 62 Stat. 683

    Enacted · 18 U.S.C. § 1303

    June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 763

    Source evidence

    Code source credit
    June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 763

  2. Postal Reorganization Act

    Pub. L. 91–375 § 6(j)(10) · 84 Stat. 719

    Substituted · 18 U.S.C. § 1303

    Pub. L. 91–375 substituted “an officer or employee of the Postal Service” for “a postmaster or other person employed in the Postal Service”

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Pub. L. 91–375 substituted “an officer or employee of the Postal Service” for “a postmaster or other person employed in the Postal Service”.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (10) Section 1303 is amended by striking out “a postmaster or other person employed in” and inserting in lieu thereof “an officer or employee of”.

    Effective date note
    Amendment 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.

  3. Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994

    Pub. L. 103–322 title XXXIII § 330016(1)(B) · 108 Stat. 1796

    Substituted · 18 U.S.C. § 1303

    Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $100”

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $100”.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (B) in sections 333, 489, 754, 1303, 1699, 1701, 1703, 1710, 1723, 1726, 1730, and 2390 by striking “not more than $100” and inserting “under this title”;

2 of 3 references resolved to an enrolled provision · 1 partial

Notes

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

Amendments1970–1994 · 2 rounds

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 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 91–375 effective within 1 year after , 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.

Credits

1948–1994 · 3 acts
  1. 1948June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 763
  2. 1970Pub. L. 91–375, § 6(j)(10), , 84 Stat. 778
  3. 1994Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(B), , 108 Stat. 2146.
Show as published

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 763; Pub. L. 91–375, § 6(j)(10), , 84 Stat. 778; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(B), , 108 Stat. 2146.)

Parsed from the official OLRC USLM XML in data/usc_all/usc18.xml · release point 119-108 · OLRC build 2026-05-04

USLM identifier /us/usc/t18/s1303