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TITLE 16ECONOMIC REGULATION
PART 9TEXAS LOTTERY COMMISSION
CHAPTER 401ADMINISTRATION OF STATE LOTTERY ACT
SUBCHAPTER DLOTTERY GAME RULES
RULE §401.317"Powerball" Draw Game Rule

(a) Powerball®. Powerball is a Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) lottery draw game offered by all Lotteries that have agreed to MUSL's Powerball Group Rules. The purpose of the Powerball game is the generation of revenue for MUSL Party Lottery members and Mega Millions Party Lotteries participating under the Cross-Sell Agreement, through the operation of a specially designed multi-jurisdiction lottery game that will award prizes to ticket holders of validated winning tickets matching specified combinations of numbers randomly selected in regularly scheduled Drawings. The Powerball game is authorized to be conducted by the commission executive director (executive director) under the conditions of the MUSL rules, the laws of the State of Texas, this section, and under such further instructions, directives, and procedures as the executive director may issue in furtherance thereof. In this regard, the executive director is authorized to issue such further instructions and directives as may be necessary to conform the conduct and play of the Powerball game to the requirements of the MUSL rules if, in the opinion of the executive director, such instructions, directives, and procedures are in conformance with state law. To be clear, the authority to participate in the Powerball game is provided to the Texas Lottery Commission (commission) by MUSL. The conduct and play of the Powerball game must conform to the MUSL Powerball Group Rules. Further, if a conflict arises between this section and §401.304 of this chapter (relating to Draw Game Rules (General)), this section shall have precedence. In addition to other applicable rules contained in Chapter 401, this section and definitions herein apply unless the context requires a different meaning or is otherwise inconsistent with the intent of the rules adopted by the MUSL or the MUSL Powerball Group.

(b) Definitions.

  (1) "Agent" or "retailer" means a person or entity authorized by the commission to sell lottery Plays.

  (2) A "Drawing" refers collectively to the formal draw event for randomly selecting the Winning Numbers that determine the number of winning Plays for each prize level of the Powerball game and Power Play promotion.

  (3) "Game ticket" or "ticket" means an acceptable evidence of Play, which is a ticket produced in a manner that meets the specifications defined in the rules of the Selling Lottery and subsection (g) of this section, and is a physical representation of the Play or Plays sold to the player.

  (4) "MUSL" means the Multi-State Lottery Association, a government-benefit association wholly owned and operated by the MUSL Party Lotteries.

  (5) "MUSL Board" means the governing body of the MUSL, which is comprised of the chief executive officer of each Party Lottery. "MUSL Finance and Audit Committee" shall mean the committee of that name established by the MUSL Board.

  (6) "MUSL Annuity Factor" shall mean the annuity factor as determined by the MUSL central office through a method approved by the MUSL Finance and Audit Committee and which is used as described in this rule.

  (7) "Pari-Mutuel" or "pari-mutuel" as used in this section shall mean wagered funds that are pooled and then paid in equal shares to the holders of winning Plays as described in this section and the MUSL Rules.

  (8) "Party Lottery" means a state lottery or lottery of a political subdivision or entity that has joined MUSL and is authorized to sell the Powerball game. "Licensee Lottery" shall mean a state lottery or lottery of a governmental unit, political subdivision, or entity thereof that is not a Party Lottery but has agreed to comply with all applicable MUSL and Product Group requirements and has been authorized by the MUSL and by the Powerball Product Group to sell the Powerball game. "Selling Lottery" or "Participating Lottery" shall mean a lottery authorized by the Product Group to sell Plays, including Party Lotteries and Licensee Lotteries.

  (9) "Play" means the six (6) numbers, the first five (5) from a field of sixty-nine (69) numbers and the last one (1) from a field of twenty-six (26) numbers, that appear on a ticket and are to be played by a player in the Powerball game.

    (A) "Powerball Plays" (PB Plays) shall refer to Plays purchased as part of the Powerball game, but shall not include Power Play Plays.

    (B) "Power Play Plays" shall refer to Plays purchased as part of the Power Play promotion described in subsection (k) of this section.

  (10) "Power Play" shall refer to the Power Play promotion as described in subsection (k) of this section.

  (11) "Powerball Group" or "Product Group" means the MUSL member group of lotteries which have joined together to offer the Powerball product pursuant to the terms of the Multi-State Lottery Agreement and the Powerball Group's rules, including the MUSL Powerball Drawing Procedures. In this rule, wherever either term is used it is referring to the MUSL Powerball Group.

  (12) "Prize" means an amount paid to a person or entity holding a winning ticket.

    (A) "The Grand Prize" shall refer to the top prize in the Powerball game.

    (B) The Advertised Grand Prize shall mean the estimated annuitized Grand Prize amount as determined by the MUSL Central Office by use of the MUSL Annuity Factor and communicated through the Selling Lotteries prior to the Grand Prize Drawing. The Advertised Grand Prize is not a guaranteed prize amount and the actual Grand Prize amount may vary from the advertised amount, except in circumstances where there is a guaranteed Grand Prize amount as described in paragraph (6) of subsection (f) of this section.

    (C) The "Set Prize" or "low-tier prize" means all other prizes, except the Grand Prize, and, except in instances outlined in this section, will be equal to the prize amount established by the Product Group for the prize level.

  (13) "Terminal" means a device authorized by the commission for the purpose of issuing Powerball game tickets and as defined in §401.301 (General Definitions) of this chapter.

  (14) "Winning Numbers" means the numbers randomly selected during a Drawing event which shall be used to determine the winning Plays for the Powerball game or the Powerball game promotion being drawn.

(c) Game Description.

  (1) Powerball Game. Powerball is a five (5) out of sixty-nine (69) plus one (1) out of twenty-six (26) numbers lottery game drawn on the days specified by the MUSL Powerball Group and announced by the executive director, as part of the Powerball Drawing, which pays the Grand Prize, at the election of the player made in accordance with this section, or by a default election made in accordance with this section, either on an annuitized pari-mutuel basis or as a single lump sum payment of the total funding held in the Grand Prize Pool for the winning Drawing on a pari-mutuel basis. Except as provided in this section, all other prizes are paid on a single payment basis.

    (A) Powerball Winning Numbers applicable to determine Powerball prizes will be determined in the Powerball Drawing. During the Powerball Drawing, five (5) numbers shall be drawn from the first set of sixty-nine (69) and one (1) number shall be drawn from the second set of twenty-six (26) numbers, which shall constitute the Powerball Winning Numbers.

    (B) To play Powerball, a player shall select five (5) different numbers, from one (1) through sixty-nine (69) and one (1) additional number from one (1) through twenty-six (26), or request the retailer to generate a Quick Pick selection of numbers from the lottery terminal. The additional number may be the same as one of the first five numbers selected by the player.

    (C) Powerball Plays can be purchased for two dollars (U.S. $2.00), including any specific statutorily-mandated tax of a Selling Lottery to be included in the price of a PB Play. PB Plays may be purchased from a Selling Lottery approved sales outlet in a manner as approved by the Selling Lottery and in accordance with MUSL Rules.

  (2) Claims. A ticket shall be the only proof of a game Play or Plays and is subject to the validation requirements set forth in subsection (g) of this section. The submission of a winning ticket to the issuing Selling Lottery or its authorized agent shall be the sole method of claiming a prize or prizes. A playslip has no pecuniary or prize value and shall not constitute evidence of Play purchase or of numbers selected. A terminal-produced paper receipt has no pecuniary or prize value and shall not constitute evidence of Play purchase or of numbers selected.

  (3) Cancellations Prohibited. In all instances, a Play recorded on the Lottery gaming system may not be voided or cancelled by returning the ticket to the selling agent or to the commission, including tickets that are misprinted, illegible, printed in error, or for any reason not successfully transferred to an authorized selling entity or player. A Selling Lottery may develop an approved method of compensating retailers for Plays that are not transferred to a player for a reason acceptable to the Selling Lottery and not prohibited by the Powerball Product Group. No Play that is eligible for a Cont'd...

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