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Lottery Laws: The U.S. Federal Law Banning Participation in Foreign Lotteries

Foreign Lotteries: It Is Illegal for U.S. Citizens to Enter Them!

Yes, stated in plain English, under Federal anti-racketeering statutes (US Code Title 18, Part I, Chapter 95, Section 1953; it is a federal crime to enter a foreign lottery!  The complete text of the federal law that make sit illegal for US citizens to participate in foreign lotteries is shown below.  We've highlight key portions:

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    TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
 
                             PART I--CRIMES
 
                        CHAPTER 95--RACKETEERING

 

Sec. 1953. Interstate transportation of wagering paraphernalia

    (a) Whoever, except a common carrier in the usual course of its
business, knowingly carries or sends in interstate or foreign commerce
any record, paraphernalia, ticket, certificate, bills, slip, token,
paper, writing, or other device used, or to be used, or adapted,
devised, or designed for use in (a) bookmaking; or (b) wagering pools
with respect to a sporting event; or (c) in a numbers, policy, bolita,
or similar game shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for not
more than five years or both.
    (b) This section shall not apply to (1) parimutuel betting
equipment, parimutuel tickets where legally acquired, or parimutuel
materials used or designed for use at racetracks or other sporting
events in connection with which betting is legal under applicable State
law, or (2) the transportation of betting materials to be used in the
placing of bets or wagers on a sporting event into a State in which such
betting is legal under the statutes of that State, or (3) the carriage
or transportation in interstate or foreign commerce of any newspaper or
similar publication, or (4) equipment, tickets, or materials used or
designed for use within a State in a lottery conducted by that State
acting under authority of State law, or (5) the transportation in
foreign commerce to a destination in a foreign country of equipment,
tickets, or materials designed to be used within that foreign country in
a lottery which is authorized by the laws of that foreign country.
    (c) Nothing contained in this section shall create immunity from
criminal prosecution under any laws of any State, Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico, territory, possession, or the District of Columbia.
    (d) For the purposes of this section (1) ``State'' means a State of
the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico, or any territory or possession of the United States; and (2)
``foreign country'' means any empire, country, dominion, colony, or
protectorate, or any subdivision thereof (other than the United States,
its territories or possessions).
    (e) For the purposes of this section ``lottery'' means the pooling
of proceeds derived from the sale of tickets or chances and allotting
those proceeds or parts thereof by chance to one or more chance takers
or ticket purchasers. ``Lottery'' does not include the placing or
accepting of bets or wagers on sporting events or contests.

(Added Pub. L. 87-218, Sec. 1, Sept. 13, 1961, 75 Stat. 492; amended
Pub. L. 93-583, Sec. 3, Jan. 2, 1975, 88 Stat. 1916; Pub. L. 96-90,
Sec. 2, Oct. 23, 1979, 93 Stat. 698; Pub. L. 103-322, title XXXIII,
Sec. 330016(1)(L), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)


                               Amendments

    1994--Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103-322 substituted ``fined under this
title'' for ``fined not more than $10,000''.
    1979--Subsec. (b)(5). Pub. L. 96-90, Sec. 2(1), added cl. (5).
    Subsecs. (d), (e). Pub. L. 96-90, Sec. 2(2), added subsecs. (d) and
(e).
    1975--Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 93-583 added cl. (4).

 

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Names of Scam / Fake / Fraud Lottery 

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