Lotteries

Federal Defense Lawyer Explains Crimes Related to Lotteries

While playing the lottery is a popular and common pastime, there are restrictions on certain actions connected with lotteries. These restrictions address a wide range of issues ranging from broadcasting lottery information to mailing lottery tickets to participation in lotteries by financial institutions.

In some cases, violating the rules and restrictions governing lotteries can result in federal criminal charges.

If you find yourself under investigation in connection with lotteries, it’s important you understand your rights and take appropriate action to fight serious allegations. LV Criminal Defense can help.

Our experienced legal team has provided representation to defendants facing all different types of federal charges, including accusations of wrongdoing related to lotteries.

We represent defendants in Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, and surrounding states and we can put our extensive legal knowledge to work to help you get the best possible outcomes. To find out more about the assistance we can offer, give us a call today.

Federal Laws On Lotteries

Those who are charged with a federal crime related to lotteries need to understand the specifics of the charges they face. Laws related to criminal misconduct involving lotteries on the federal level are found within 18 U.S. Code Chapter 61. There are a total of eight statutes within this Chapter, including the following:

• 18 U.S. Code section 1301: Importing or transporting lottery tickets: This statute makes it a crime to bring into the United States or knowingly deposit with a common carrier to be transported in interstate commerce any certificate, paper, or instrument that purports to be a lottery or similar game of change, or any advertisement of a game of chance unless permitted within the state. The statute also makes it a crime to knowingly transmit information used for the purposes of procuring a lottery ticket or ticket for a game of change unless permitted by state law. Violating this statute could result in imprisonment for up to two years as well as a fine.
• 18 U.S. Code section 1302: Mailing lottery tickets or related matter: This statute prohibits knowingly mailing or delivering by mail any letter, package, or post card that contains a lottery ticket or a ticket for a game of change or similar scheme that is not authorized by state law. It also prohibits transmitting via mail any checks, draft , or other money for the purpose of obtaining such tickets and prohibits mailing newspapers or other publications that contain advertisements for lotteries or games of chance. The penalty for violating this statute could include up to two years of imprisonment.
• 18 U.S. Code section 1303: Postmaster or employee as lottery agent: If a postmaster or other postal employee acts as an agent for a lottery or delivers or vends lottery tickets or tickets related to games of chance, that postal employee could be fined and imprisoned for up to one year according to 18 U.S. Code section 1303.
• 18 U.S. Code section 1304: Broadcasting lottery information: This statute imposes a penalty of up to one year if an individual is convicted of broadcasting, or allowing to be broadcast, advertisements for lotteries or games of chance on any radio station or TV station for which a license is required. The maximum penalty is a year imprisonment and a fine. Each day of broadcasting could constitute a separate offense.
• 18 U.S. Code section 1305: Fishing contests: This statute makes clear that the other laws found within 18 U.S. Code section 61 do not apply to fishing contests that aren’t conducted for profit if prizes are awarded based on the characteristics of the fish that are caught by participants in a bona fide fishing contest.
• 18 U.S. Code section 1306: Participation by financial institutions: This statute imposes penalties for the knowing violation of the Federal Reserve Act and certain other statutes related to financial institutions participating in lotteries. The maximum penalty is a year of imprisonment.
• 18 U.S. Code section 1307: Exceptions relating to certain advertisements and other information and to State-conducted lotteries: This statute carves out a number of exceptions to the other statutes in 18 U.S. Code section 61 that prohibit distributing lottery tickets or advertising games of chance.
• 18 U.S. Code section 1308: Limitation of applicability: This statement explains other circumstances where the rules within 18 U.S. Code Chapter 61 do not apply.

Because each of these different statutes has its own specific rules and sets forth details about different elements of a criminal offense that a prosecutor would need to prove to secure a conviction, it is important for defendants who are charged to understand the specifics of their cases.

LV Criminal Defense can provide assistance to defendants in understanding exactly what must be proved in order for the defendant to be convicted of the acts he has been accused of.

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