| (a) Sale of scratch tickets.
(1) Only retailers who have been licensed by the commission
are authorized to sell scratch tickets, and tickets may be sold only
at a licensed location.
(2) Each scratch ticket shall sell for the retail sales
price authorized by the executive director and stated in the individual
game procedures; provided that, the purchase price for promotional
groups of tickets shall be determined by the executive director.
(3) Each scratch ticket shall state the overall estimated
odds of winning a prize of any kind, including a break-even prize.
(b) Game procedures.
(1) The director may approve and publish individual
game procedures prior to each scratch ticket game being introduced
for sale to the public. Game procedures shall be published in the Texas Register and shall be made available
upon request to the public.
(2) At a minimum, the game procedures for each game
shall contain the following information:
(A) confirming captions;
(B) game name;
(C) game number;
(D) prize structure;
(E) play style;
(F) play symbols;
(G) ticket order quantity;
(H) retail sales price;
(I) dollar amount of prizes that may be paid by retailers;
and
(J) eligibility requirements for a prize or promotional
drawing, if any.
(3) The play style for an individual game shall be
fully described in the game procedures and may take the form of one
of the following methods of play:
(A) match up;
(B) add up;
(C) three in a line;
(D) key number/symbol match;
(E) yours beats theirs;
(F) prize legend;
(G) cards;
(H) bingo;
(I) directional arrows through maze;
(J) bonus game features; or
(K) any other approved play style or bonus game feature
developed by the commission.
(c) Determination of prize winner.
(1) The play symbols shall be used by a player to determine
eligibility for prizes. Qualifying play symbols are stated in the
game procedures.
(2) A player's eligibility to win a prize is subject
to the ticket validation requirements provided in subsection (d) of
this section.
(3) For each individual game, the player shall reveal
the play symbols according to the play instructions for the game.
Eligibility to win a prize is based on the approved play style as
follows.
(A) Match up. If the designated number of identical
play symbols is revealed on the ticket, the player shall win the prize
indicated.
(B) Add up. If the player adds up all of the play symbols
printed on the ticket and the amount is greater than or equal to the
required total amount printed on the ticket, the player shall win
the prize indicated.
(C) Three in a line. If the player reveals three identical
play symbols, either diagonally, vertically, or horizontally, on the
same ticket, the player shall win the prize indicated.
(D) Key number/symbol match. If the player reveals
a play symbol that matches the designated key play symbol, the player
shall win the prize indicated.
(E) Yours beats theirs. If the player reveals a play
symbol designated as yours that is greater than the play symbol(s)
designated as theirs, the player shall win the prize indicated.
(F) Prize legend. If the player reveals the designated
number of play symbols, the player wins the prize amount that corresponds
to the legend.
(G) Cards. If the player reveals the play symbol needed
for that particular card game in a winning combination, the player
shall win the prize indicated.
(H) Bingo. If the player matches their Bingo card numbers
with all of the Caller's Card numbers and reveals certain patterns
as specified on the ticket, the player shall win the prize indicated
for that Bingo card and pattern.
(I) Directional arrows through maze. If the player
follows the directional arrows to make a path or paths through a maze
and the path(s) leads to a prize amount, the player shall win that
prize.
(J) Bonus game features. These features are added to
the game for extra play value and entertainment. The specific variants,
as described below, are used for a particular game and are described
in the individual game procedures:
(i) Doubler. If the player reveals the designated play
symbol as part of the winning combination of the game, the player
doubles their prize. The player may also reveal the "doubler" play
symbol in a prize box, in which case the prize amount that the player
won is doubled.
(ii) Wild card. The player may use this designated
play symbol as part of the winning combination of the game.
(iii) Double and Double Doubler. If the player reveals
one of these designated play symbols as part of the winning combination
of the game, the player either doubles or quadruples their prize respectively,
as stated in the game card itself. The player may also reveal the
"double" or "double doubler" play symbols in a prize box, in which
case the prize amount that the player won is either doubled or quadrupled
respectively, as stated in the game card itself.
(iv) Tripler. If the player reveals the designated
play symbol as part of the winning combination of the game, the player
triples their prize. The player may also reveal the "tripler" play
symbol in a prize box, in which case the prize amount that the player
won is tripled.
(v) Auto win. If the player reveals the designated
play symbol, the player wins the corresponding prize automatically.
(vi) Entry ticket. If the player reveals the designated
play symbol, the player may use the ticket as a means of entering
a drawing, subject to the game procedures for each game.
(K) Any other approved play style or bonus game feature
developed by the commission. If the player reveals the designated
play symbols or bonus play features, the player shall win the prize(s)
as indicated.
(d) Ticket validation requirements.
(1) Each scratch ticket shall be validated according
to validation procedures prior to payment of a prize.
(2) A scratch ticket shall comply with all of the following.
(A) The ticket shall not be stolen or appear on any
list of omitted tickets on file with the commission.
(B) The ticket shall not be counterfeit or forged,
in whole or in part.
(C) The ticket shall not be mutilated, altered, unreadable,
reconstituted, or tampered with in any manner.
(D) The ticket shall have been issued by the commission
in an authorized manner.
(E) The ticket shall have been received or recorded
by the commission by applicable deadlines.
(F) The ticket shall pass all the confidential validation
and security tests appropriate to the applicable play style.
(G) The validation number of an apparent winning ticket
shall appear on the commission's official list of validation numbers
of winning tickets for the particular game and pack. A ticket with
that validation number shall not have been paid previously.
(3) The commission may pay the prize for a ticket that
is partially mutilated or not intact if the ticket can still be verified
as a valid ticket and validated by the other validation requirements
and procedures.
(4) Any ticket not passing all of the validation tests
and requirements is void and ineligible for any prize and shall not
be paid. The executive director may, at his/her exclusive determination,
reimburse the player for the cost of the void ticket.
(5) If a defective ticket is purchased and is void,
the sole remedy available against the commission and the commission's
sole liability shall be, at the executive director's sole discretion,
reimbursement for the cost of the void ticket, or replacement of the
defective ticket with another unplayed ticket in that scratch ticket
game (or a ticket of equivalent sales price from any other current
scratch ticket game).
(e) Payment of low-tier and mid-tier prizes.
(1) Any prize less than $600 may be paid by any retailer.
(2) Retailers may pay prizes in cash. If acceptable
to the claimant, retailers may also pay cash prizes by business check,
certified check, cashier's check, money order, gift card, stored-value
card, or store merchandise. If a retailer decides to pay with anything
other than cash, it is the responsibility of the retailer to ensure
the claimant has voluntarily agreed to the non-cash prize payment.
Cont'd... |
