In addition to the OPM and GSA regulations, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), http://intranet.hhs.gov/it/cybersecurity/docs/policies_guides/OCIO/pol-pers-use-it-rsrc.pdf, section 4.1.5.3 (August 1, 2013), prohibits the use of government equipment, such as computers and e-mail, for illegal gambling activities. This includes related e-mails sent from a personal account if done using a government computer. Violations of this policy may be cause for loss of use or restricted use of government equipment, disciplinary action, or financial liability.
In addition to the OCIO gambling prohibition, section 5.4.1 prohibits any personal computer use that could cause congestion, delay, or disruption of service to any HHS IT or network, including the audio and video streaming from the Internet of such things as sporting events. Such use is also a violation of 5 C.F.R. 2635.704 and .705 for misusing government equipment and time.
Please note that games, raffles, and similar activities that take place during the annual Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) season are not synonymous with gambling when conducted in accordance with the rules in 5 C.F.R. part 950. In addition, the Randolph-Sheppard Act, 20 U.S.C. 107a(a)(5), and General Services Administration regulations, 41 C.F.R. 102-74.395, permit, as an exception to the gambling prohibition, the sale of state lottery tickets in vending facilities operated by the blind on Federal property.
If you have questions about gambling or the misuse of government equipment or time in the Federal Workplace, contact your operating or staff division’s deputy ethics counselor. A roster of the HHS Ethics Officials may be found at http://www.hhs.gov/ogc/contact/contacts.html. If you are an NIH employee go to http://ethics.od.nih.gov/coord.pdf to find your Institute’s or Center’s ethics coordinator.
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