---
kind: "section"
citation: "47 U.S.C. § 509"
title: "47"
title_heading: "Telecommunications"
number: "509"
heading: "Prohibited practices in contests of knowledge, skill, or chance"
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/47/509"
units:
  - "Chapter 5 — Wire or Radio Communication"
  - "Subchapter V — Penal Provisions; Forfeitures"
---

# §509. Prohibited practices in contests of knowledge, skill, or chance

- (a) **Influencing, prearranging, or predetermining outcome—** It shall be unlawful for any [person](/usc/47/153.md?p=39), with intent to deceive [the listening or viewing public](#b-2)—
  - (1) To supply to any contestant in a purportedly bona fide [contest](#b-1) of intellectual knowledge or intellectual skill any special and secret assistance whereby the outcome of such [contest](#b-1) will be in whole or in part prearranged or predetermined.
  - (2) By means of persuasion, bribery, intimidation, or otherwise, to induce or cause any contestant in a purportedly bona fide [contest](#b-1) of intellectual knowledge or intellectual skill to refrain in any manner from using or displaying his knowledge or skill in such [contest](#b-1), whereby the outcome thereof will be in whole or in part prearranged or predetermined.
  - (3) To engage in any artifice or scheme for the purpose of prearranging or predetermining in whole or in part the outcome of a purportedly bona fide [contest](#b-1) of intellectual knowledge, intellectual skill, or chance.
  - (4) To produce or participate in the production for [broadcasting](/usc/47/153.md?p=7) of, to broadcast or participate in the [broadcasting](/usc/47/153.md?p=7) of, to offer to a [licensee](/usc/47/153.md?p=30) for [broadcasting](/usc/47/153.md?p=7), or to sponsor, any radio [program](/usc/47/1608.md?p=9), knowing or having reasonable ground for believing that, in connection with a purportedly bona fide [contest](#b-1) of intellectual knowledge, intellectual skill, or chance constituting any part of such [program](/usc/47/1608.md?p=9), any [person](/usc/47/153.md?p=39) has done or is going to do any act or thing referred to in paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of this subsection.
  - (5) To conspire with any other [person](/usc/47/153.md?p=39) or [persons](/usc/47/153.md?p=39) to do any act or thing prohibited by paragraph (1), (2), (3), or (4) of this subsection, if one or more of such [persons](/usc/47/153.md?p=39) do any act to effect the object of such conspiracy.
- (b) **“Contest” and “the listening or viewing public” defined—** For the purposes of this section—
  - (1) The term “contest” means any contest broadcast by a [radio station](/usc/47/153.md?p=42) in connection with which any money or any other thing of value is offered as a prize or prizes to be paid or presented by the [program](/usc/47/1608.md?p=9) sponsor or by any other [person](/usc/47/153.md?p=39) or [persons](/usc/47/153.md?p=39), as announced in the course of the broadcast.
  - (2) The term “the listening or viewing public” means those members of the public who, with the aid of radio receiving sets, listen to or view [programs](/usc/47/1608.md?p=9) broadcast by [radio stations](/usc/47/153.md?p=42).
- (c) **Penalties—** Whoever violates [subsection (a)](#a) shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

## Source credit

(June 19, 1934, ch. 652, title V, § 508, formerly § 509, as added Pub. L. 86–752, § 9, Sept. 13, 1960, 74 Stat. 897; renumbered § 508, Pub. L. 96–507, § 1, Dec. 8, 1980, 94 Stat. 2747.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 508 of act June 19, 1934, ch. 652, was renumbered section 507 by section 1 of Pub. L. 96–507, and is classified to section 508 of this title.