The Department of Finance has received information that certain individuals have been organizing illegal lottery games using Facebook.
The Department of Finance is responsible for licensing persons engaged in the operation of public lotteries and supervising and administering the operation of any lotteries in the Commonwealth. 1 CMC § 9305; Executive Order 94-3 § 307(a) (transferring Commonwealth Lottery Commission functions to the Department of Finance).
A lottery is a gambling scheme in which: (a) Players pay or agree to pay something of value for a chance represented by numbers; (b) Winning chances are to be determined by a drawing or by some other method based on an element of chance; and (c) Holders of the winning chances are to receive something of value.
No persons other than those licensed by the Department of Finance may operate or be engaged in the operation of a lottery and it is illegal for any person to sell, buy, or transfer in exchange for anything of value, any ticket or share of any lottery, which is not authorized by the Department of Finance. 1 CMC § 9322.
Any person found to be in violation of the law may be imprisoned for a period of up to five years or be fined up to $5,000.00 or both. 1 CMC § 9323.
If you encounter a group that you think is suspicious or may be hosting illegal gambling on social media, please contact the Department of Finance at 664-1100 or the Attorney General’s Office at 237-7500.
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