Importing or transporting lottery tickets
Official text prohibited actmental stateif conditionpenaltylegal term
Whoever brings into the United States for the purpose of disposing of the same, or knowingly deposits with any express company or other common carrier for carriage, or carries in any 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, or any advertisement of, or list of the prizes drawn or awarded by means of, any such lottery, gift enterprise, or similar scheme; or, being engaged in the business of procuring for a person in 1 State such a ticket, chance, share, or interest in a lottery, gift,[1] enterprise or similar scheme conducted by another State (unless that business is permitted under an agreement between the States in question or appropriate authorities of those States), knowingly transmits in information to be used for the purpose of procuring such a ticket, chance, share, or interest; or knowingly takes or receives any such paper, certificate, instrument, advertisement, or list so brought, deposited, or transported, shall be or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.
History: (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 762 (PDF, 39 MB); Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXII, §320905, title XXXIII, §330016(1)(H), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2126 (PDF, 52 MB), 2147.)
1 So in original. The comma probably should not appear.
Simplified explanation
It is a federal crime to bring lottery tickets or ads into the United States to distribute them, or to ship or carry them across state or national lines. It also covers businesses that buy other States' lottery tickets for customers without permission, and knowingly receiving such items.