Florida Administrative Code (Last Updated: December 2, 2024) |
53. Department of the Lottery |
D53. Departmental |
53ER18. Emergency Rule For Year 2018 |
1(1) Introduction. 3The Multi-State Lottery Association ("MUSL") has entered into an Agreement (16“17Cross-Sell Agreement19”20) with those U.S. lotteries operating under an agreement to sell a lottery Draw game known as MEGA MILLIONS39® 40(41“42Mega Millions Lotteries45”46). The Cross-Sell Agreement permits MUSL Party Lotteries who are members of the MUSL Mega Millions Product Group (65“66Product Group68”69), including the Florida Lottery, to sell the MEGA MILLIONS game. The MEGA MILLIONS game is conducted by the Florida Lottery under the conditions of the Cross-Sell Agreement, MUSL Rules, Multi-State Lottery Association Mega Millions104® 105Product Group Rules (109“110MUSL MM Rules113”114), 115effective 10/31/17, 117the laws of the State of Florida and this Emergency Rule. The conduct and play of the MEGA MILLIONS game in Florida must conform to the MUSL MM Rules. Unless otherwise provided by law, if any part of this rule, or any other rule in 162c163hapter 53 of the Florida Administrative Code, is inconsistent with the MUSL MM Rules, the MUSL MM Rules shall control, except where the MUSL MM Rules defer to the laws, policies or rules of the Florida Lottery. If a conflict arises between this rule and any other rule in 212c213hapter 53 of the Florida Administrative Code, this rule shall take precedence. The Multi-State Lottery Association Mega Millions231® 232Product Group Rules are hereby incorporated by reference and may be obtained from the 246Florida Lottery, Office of the General Counsel, 250 Marriott Drive, Tallahassee, Florida 32301 or from the Florida Lottery’s website at flalottery.com.
267(2) 268Definitions.
269The following words and terms, when used in this rule, have the following meanings, unless the conte286xt clearly indicates otherwise:
290(a) 291Advertised Jackpot Prize 294– 295The estimated annuitized Jackpot Prize amount as determined by the Mega Millions 307Finance Committee prior to the Jackpot Prize drawing. The “Advertised Jackpot Prize” is not a guaranteed prize amount and the actual Jackpot Prize amount may vary from the advertised amount, except in circumstances where there is a guaranteed Jackpot Prize amount as described in paragraph (9)(e).
353(b) 354Drawing 355– 356Refers collectively to the formal draw event for randomly selecting the winning indicia that determine the number of winners for each prize level of the MEGA MILLIONS game. Winning indicia include the Winning Numbers for the MEGA MILLIONS game.
395(c) 396Jackpot Prize 398– 399The top prize in the MEGA MILLIONS game.
407(d) 408Just the Jackpot411™ 412Plays (“JJ Plays”) 415– 416A purchased Play which includes two JJ Plays as part of the Just the Jackpot Promotion. Although the Florida Lottery is not offering the Just the Jackpot Promotion, the term Just the Jackpot Plays is used in this rule as it relates to the Jackpot Prize payout.
463(e) 464Mega Millions Finance Committee 468– 469A committee of the Mega Millions Lotteries that determines the Jackpot Prize amount (Cash Option and Annuity).
486(f) 487MEGA MILLIONS Just the Jackpot Promotion 493– 494The MEGA MILLIONS Just the Jackpot Promotion is a limited extension of the MEGA MILLIONS game and is conducted in accordance with the MUSL MEGA MILLIONS Product Group rules. The Florida Lottery has elected not to offer the Just the Jackpot Promotion at this time. Just the Jackpot will impact the amount of the Jackpot Prize in the MEGA MILLIONS game, and participants in Just the Jackpot in other lottery jurisdictions may win the MEGA MILLIONS Jackpot prize.
572(g) 573Mega Millions Lottery or Lotteries 578– 579Lotteries that have joined under the Mega Millions Lottery Agreement; the group of lotteries that has reached a Cross-Selling Agreement with the MUSL Product Group for the selling of the MEGA MILLIONS Game.
612(h) 613MEGA MILLIONS Plays (“MM Plays”) 618– 619Plays purchased as part of the MEGA MILLIONS game but shall not include JJ Plays or Megaplier Plays.
637(i) 638Megaplier Plays 640– 641Plays purchased as part of the Megaplier play feature, as further described in paragraph (10)(b).
656(j) 657MUSL 658– 659The Multi-State Lottery Association.
663(k) 664MUSL Board 666– 667The governing body of the MUSL.
673(l) 674Play 675– 676The six numbers, the first five chosen from a field of seventy numbers and the last one chosen from a field of twenty-five numbers, that appear on a ticket as a single lettered selection to be played by a player in the MEGA MILLIONS game. Each Play is played separately in determining matches to winning numbers and prize amounts. As used in these rules, unless otherwise specifically indicated, “Play” inclu746des both MM Plays and JJ Plays.
753(m) 754Product Group 756– 757The group of lotteries that has joined together to offer the MEGA MILLIONS lottery game under the terms of its Cross-Selling Agreement with the Mega Millions Lotteries, the MUSL Agreement and the MUSL Mega Millions Product Group rules.
795(n) 796Selling or Participating Lotteries 800– 801A state lottery or lottery of a political subdivision or entity that is participating in selling the MEGA MILLIONS game and that may be a member of either MUSL or the Mega Millions Lotteries.
835(o) 836Set Prize 838– 839All prizes except the Jackpot Prize and, except as set forth in paragraph (10)(h) and (i), will be equal to the prize amount established by the Product Group 867for the prize level.
871(p) 872Winning Numbers 874– 875The indicia randomly selected during a drawing event which shall be used to determine winning Plays for the MEGA MILLIONS game contained on a ticket.
900(3) How to Play MEGA MILLIONS.
906(a) MEGA MILLIONS is a multi-state lottery Draw game (also known as an online lottery game) which is offered to players in Florida by the Florida Lottery via authorized Florida Lottery retailers. In MEGA MILLIONS, players select five numbers from a field of one through seventy and one number (the “Mega Ball”) from a separate field of one through twenty-five.
966(b) Players may make their ticket selections by marking a play slip or by telling the retailer their desired selections. There are five panels on a play slip, each containing an upper play area and a lower play area. Each panel played will cost $2.00 per drawing. Players may mark their desired numbers on the play slip by selecting five numbers in the upper play area and one number in the lower play area from each panel played. Players may also mark the “QP” (Quick Pick) box located at the bottom of each play area for the terminal to randomly select one or more numbers from the applicable play area. A “Void” box is also located at the bottom of each panel and should be marked by the player if an error was made in his or her selections in a panel. For each panel played, the first five of the six numbers appearing in a single horizontal row on a ticket shall be the numbers selected from the upper play area of the play slip, and the last number shall be the number selected from the lower play area of the play slip.
1160(c) Play slips must be Florida Lottery approved and players must use only blue or black ink or pencil for making selections. The use of mechanical, electronic, computer generated, or any other non-manual method of marking play slips is prohibited. Play slips may be processed through a Florida Lottery full service vending machine or processed by a retailer in order to obtain a ticket. Retailers also are authorized to manually enter numbers selected by a player.
1236(d) Advance Play. Players may play up to twenty-six consecutive drawings by using the “advance play” feature. To use the advance play feature, players may either mark the number of available drawings desired in the “Advance Play” section of a play slip or tell the retailer their desired number of consecutive advance drawings. The number of consecutive drawings marked will include the next available drawing and will apply to each panel (A-E) played. Advance play is not available with 1315Jackpot Combo. 1317In the event that a planned change in the MEGA MILLIONS game requires that the number of advance plays available for purchase be reduced to zero before implementation of the change, an advance play countdown schedule will be posted on the Lottery’s website.
1360(e) 1361Jackpot Combo. Players may elect to play “Jackpot Combo” by marking the “Jackpot Combo $6” box on the play slip or by telling 1384the retailer. 1386Players will receive three Quick Pick tickets for the next available drawing consisting of one $2.00 FLORIDA LOTTO1404® 1405with XTRA ticket, one $2.00 POWERBALL1411® 1412ticket and one $2.00 MEGA MILLIONS1418® 1419ticket. Tickets in Jackpot Combo play cannot be player s1429elected and cannot be canceled.
1434(f) For an additional $1.00 per play, players may mark the Megaplier1446® 1447box to multiply the second through ninth prizes. Megaplier will apply to all panels 1461and advance play marked.
1465(4) Drawings.
1467(a) MEGA MILLIONS drawings shall be conducted by the Mega Millions Lotteries two times per week, on Tuesdays and Fridays, at 1488approximately 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET).
1494(b) The Florida Lottery shall not be responsible for incorrect circulation, publication or broadcast of official winning numbers.
1512(5) Determination of Prize Winners.
1517In order for a ticket to be a winning ticket, numbers appearing in a single horizontal row on the ticket must match the official MEGA MILLIONS Winning N1545umbers 1546in any order for the drawing date for which the ticket was purchased, in one of the following combinations:
1565(a) Jackpot Prize: Five numbers selected from the first set of balls plus the number selected from the second set of balls.
1587(b) Second Prize: Five numbers selected from the first set of balls and not the number selected 1604from the second set of balls.
1610(c) Third Prize: Four numbers selected from the first set of balls plus the number selected from the second set of balls.
1632(d) Fourth Prize: Four numbers selected from the first set of balls and not the number selected 1649from the second set of balls.
1655(e) Fifth Prize: Three numbers selected from the first set of balls plus the number selected from the second set of balls.
1677(f) Sixth Prize: Three numbers selected from the first set of balls and not the number selected from the second set of balls.
1700(g) Seventh Prize: Two numbers selected from the first set of balls plus the number selected 1716from the second set of balls.
1722(h) Eighth Prize: One number selected from the first set of balls plus the number selected from the second set of balls.
1744(i) Ninth Prize: No numbers selected from the first set of balls and the number selected from the second set of balls.
1766(6) Limited to Highest Prize Won. The holder of a winning ticket may win only one prize per play in connection with the winning numbers drawn and shall be entitled only to the prize won by those numbers in the highest matching prize category. All liabilities for a MEGA MILLIONS prize are discharged upon payment of a prize claim.
1825(7) Odds of Winning.
1829(a) The odds of winning the prizes described in subsection (5) are as follows:
18431. Jackpot Prize 1846– 18471:1848302,575,350
18512. Second Prize 1854– 18551:185612,607,306
18593. Third Prize 1862– 18631:1864931,001
18664. Fourth Prize 1869– 18701:187138,792
18735. Fifth Prize 1876– 18771:187814,547
18806. Sixth Prize 1883– 18841:1885606
18867. Seventh Prize 1889– 18901:1891693
18928. Eighth Prize 1895– 18961:189789
18989. Ninth Prize 1901– 19021:190337
1904(b) The overall odds of winning a prize in a MEGA MILLIONS drawing are 1:1919241920.
1921(8) MEGA MILLIONS Prize Pool.
1926(a) 1927The MEGA MILLIONS Prize Pool for all prize categories shall consist of up to fifty-five percent of each drawing period’s sales. The MEGA MILLIONS Prize Pool shall be funded in accordance with criteria set by the Product Group.
1965(b) 1966Expected Prize Payout Percentages. The Jackpot Prize shall be determined on a pari-mutuel basis. Except as provided in these rules, all other prizes awarded shall be paid as set prizes with the following expected prize payout percentages, although the actual prize payout percentage per drawing will vary by drawing.
2015M2016atch Per MM Play
2020Prize
2021Category
2022Prize
2023Payment
2024Estimated Percentage of
2027Prize Pool
2029Allocated
2030to Prize Category
2033Five first set numbers and the one number of the second set
2045Jackpot Prize
2047Jackpot Prize
204975.3018%*
2050Five first set numbers and none of the second set
2060Second Prize
2062$1,000,000
20657.9319%
2066Four first set numbers and the one number of the second set
2078Third Prize
2080$10,000
20821.0742%
2083Four first set numbers and none of the second set
2093Fourth Prize
2095$500
20961.2889%
2097Three first set numbers and the one number of the second set
2109Fifth Prize
2111$200
21121.3749%
2113Three first set numbers and none of the second set
2123Sixth Prize
2125$10
21261.6498%
2127Two first set numbers and the one number of the second set
2139Seventh Prize
2141$10
21421.4436%
2143One first set number and the one number of the second set
2155Eighth Prize
2157$4
21584.4752%
2159None of the first set numbers and the one number of the second set
2173Ninth Prize
2175$2
21765.4597%
2177*The Jackpot Prize shall include the estimated MM Prize Pool percentage allocated to the Jackpot Prize combined with estimated JJ Prize Pool percentage allocated to the Jackpot Prize.
2205(c) 2206Prize money allocated to the Jackpot Prize category will be divided equally by the number of MM Plays and JJ Plays determined to be winners of the Jackpot Prize.
2235(d) 2236The number of Plays determined to be winners of the Second through Ninth Prize levels will be paid as Set Prizes, except as provided in paragraph (10)(h), 2263below. If all or any portion of the set prize pool is not awarded in the current MEGA MILLIONS drawing, that portion of the set prize pool shall be carried forward to subsequent MEGA MILLIONS drawings.
2299(e) 2300Any interest or earnings accrued on a MEGA MILLIONS Set Prize prior to prize payment shall accrue to MUSL and not to the winner.
2324(9) MEGA MILLIONS Jackpot Prize.
2329(a) The prize money available in the Jackpot Prize pool will be divided equally among all Jackpot prize winning MM Plays and JJ Plays in all Participating Lotteries. 2357Neither MUSL, Mega Millions Lotteries nor the Florida Lottery shall be responsible or liable for the difference between the Advertised or estimated Jackpot Prize amount and the actual Jackpot Prize amount after the prize payment method is known to MUSL and Mega Millions Lotteries.
2401(b) Players can cho2405ose one of two payment options for receiving their portion of the MEGA MILLIONS 2419Jackpot Prize2421. Payment options are “Cash Option” and “Annual Payment.” Jackpot Prize winners have sixty days after the winning draw date to choose between the two payment options. Once the Jackpot Prize winner signs the Winner Claim Form, files a claim and exercises the winner's chosen option, the election of that option shall be final and cannot be revoked, withdrawn or otherwise changed except as provided in subparagraph (9)(d)4., 2489below.
2490(c) Cash Option Payment.
2494The Cash Option amount offered shall be the Jackpot Prize annuity amount as determined by the Mega Millions Lotteries, divided by a rate established by the Mega Millions Finance Committee prior to each drawing, divided by the number of total Jackpot Prize winning MM Plays and JJ Plays. 2542In order to select the Cash Option, the Jackpot Prize winner must submit his or her ticket for payment within sixty days after the winning draw date. If the Jackpot Prize winner does not elect the Cash Option within sixty days after the winning draw date, the Annual Payment option will be applied, except as provided in subparagraph (9)(d)2., 2601below. A Jackpot Prize winner who chooses the Cash Option payment will be paid in a single cash payment, less applicable federal income tax withholding.
2626(d) Annual Payment Option.
26301. The prize amount of a Jackpot Prize winner electing the Annual Payment option shall be the Annuitized Jackpot Prize amount, as determined by the Mega Millions Lotteries, divided by the number of total Jackpot Prize winning MM Plays and JJ Plays in all Participating Lotteries. If a Jackpot Prize winner elects the Annual Payment option, his or her share of the Jackpot Prize will be paid in thirty graduated annual installments, each less applicable withholding taxes. 2707The Florida Lottery will make the initial and any subsequent payments of a prize upon receipt of funds for such prize from MUSL. 2730The initial payment shall be paid upon completion of internal validation procedures. The subsequent twenty-nine payments shall be paid annually to coincide with the month of the Federal auction date at which the bonds were purchased to fund the annuity. Payments shall escalate by a factor of five percent annually, and annual payments shall be rounded down to the nearest even one-thousand-dollar 2792increment. 2793All such payments shall be made within seven days of the anniversa2805ry of the annual auction date.
28112. If individual winners’ shares of the cash held to fund Annual Payments are less than $250,000.00, the Product Group is authorized to pay the winners their share of the cash held in the Jackpot Prize pool.
28493. Annuitized payment of the Jackpot Prize or a share of the Jackpot Prize will be rounded to facilitate the purchase of an appropriate funding mechanism. Rounding differences on an annuitized Jackpot Prize win shall be added to the first cash payment to the winner or winners. Prizes other than the Jackpot Prize, which under this rule may become single-payment, pari-mutuel prizes, will be rounded down so that prizes can be paid in multiples of whole dollars. Rounding differences resulting from rounding these prizes shall be carried forward to the MEGA MILLIONS Prize Pool for the next drawing.
29474. In the event of the death during the annuity payment period of a MEGA MILLIONS winner who elected the Annual Payment option, the estate of the deceased winner (the “Estate”) may file a petition with the Florida Lottery to accelerate payment of all the remaining prize proceeds to the Estate. Such petition will be forwarded by the Florida Lottery to MUSL for processing. MUSL will decide, in its sole discretion, whether or not to grant the payment, and if so, the form of such payment, whether in securities or cash.
3038(e) Guaranteed Minimum Jackpot Prize. The minimum guaranteed annuity MEGA MILLIONS Jackpot Prize amount is $40 million and each successive Jackpot Prize in the same roll cycle will be at least $5 million more than the previously established Jackpot.
3077(f) 3078Jackpot prizes won, including guaranteed Jackpot prizes, shall be funded by the Selling Lotteries in accordance with the formula set by the Mega Millions Lotteries.
3103(g) If the Jackpot Prize is not won in a drawing, the prize money allocated for the Jackpot Prize shall roll over and be added to the Jackpot Prize pool for the next consecutive MEGA MILLIONS drawing.
3140(h) Federal income taxes shall be applied and withheld from the prize amount at the time payment is made, pursuant to applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and Code of Federal Regulations.
3173(i) Any interest or earnings accrued on a MEGA MILLIONS Jackpot Prize prior to prize payment shall accrue to MUSL and not to the winner.
3198(10) MEGA MILLIONS Megaplier3202®3203.
3204(a) The Megaplier Prize Pool. The Megaplier3211® 3212Prize Pool for Megaplier prize categories shall consist of up to fifty-five percent of each drawing period’s sales. The Megaplier Prize Pool shall be funded in accordance with criteria set by the Product Group. The actual prize payout percentage per drawing will vary by drawing. The Megaplier Prize Pool shall be carried forward to subsequent drawings if all or a portion of it is not needed to pay the Megaplier prizes awarded in the current drawing.
3288(b) The Megaplier option shall be available in association with the MEGA MILLIONS game. At the time of purchasing a ticket, a player may choose the Megaplier feature for an additional $1.00 per MM Play for each MM Play on the MEGA MILLIONS ticket (“Megaplier Play”) to increase the guaranteed prize amount for the second through ninth tier prizes. The MEGA MILLIONS Jackpot Prize is not eligible for increase under the Megaplier option or by means of the Just the Jackpot Promotion
3370(c) Megaplier Drawing. A separate random Megaplier drawing will occur before every MEGA MILLIONS drawing to determine one multiplier number for that drawing, which will be a 2, 3, 4, or 5. The multiplier number drawn will be used to multiply the value of the prizes for the second through ninth tiers. In the event the multiplier drawing does not occur prior to the MEGA MILLIONS drawing, the multiplier number will be a 5. The multiplier number may also be referred to as the Megaplier number.
3456(d) 3457The following table sets forth the probability of the various multiplier numbers being drawn during a single Megaplier 3475drawing.
3476Multiplier
3477Probability of Prize Increase
34815X
34821 in 15
34854X
34863 in 15
34893X
34906 in 15
34932X
34945 in 15
3497Multiplier numbers do not apply to the MEGA MILLIONS Jackpot Prize
3508(e) Application of multiplier number.
35131. Second through Ninth Prizes. The multiplier number selected is the number that is used to increase the prize amount for the Second through Ninth Prizes. A Second through Ninth Prize winner who purchases the Megaplier feature with his or her MEGA MILLIONS ticket shall be paid a prize in the amount of the set prize amount multiplied by the multiplier number for that drawing.
35782. Jackpot Prize. The Megaplier feature does not apply to the Jackpot Prize.
3591(f) The Product Group is authorized to conduct sales promotions in which the multiplier features are changed.
3608(g) MEGA MILLIONS tickets that win the Second through Ninth Prizes with the Megaplier option will pay the amounts shown below3629:
3630Match
3631Prize
3632Without
3633Megaplier
3634With 3635Megaplier
36362X
3637With Megaplier
36393X
3640With 3641Megaplier
36424X
3643With Megaplier
36455X
3646Match 5+0
3648Second
3649$1,000,000
3652$2,000,000
3655$3,000,000
3658$4,000,000
3661$5,000,000
3664Match 4+1
3666Third
3667$10,000
3669$20,000
3671$30,000
3673$40,000
3675$50,000
3677Match 4+0
3679Fourth
3680$500
3681$1,000
3683$1,500
3685$2,000
3687$2,500
3689Match 3+1
3691Fifth
3692$200
3693$400
3694$600
3695$800
3696$1,000
3698Match 3+0
3700Sixth
3701$10
3702$20
3703$30
3704$40
3705$50
3706Match 2+1
3708Seventh
3709$10
3710$20
3711$30
3712$40
3713$50
3714Match 1+1
3716Eighth
3717$4
3718$8
3719$12
3720$16
3721$20
3722Match 0+1
3724Ninth
3725$2
3726$4
3727$6
3728$8
3729$10
3730(h) 3731If, with respect to a single MEGA MILLIONS drawing, the total of the MEGA MILLIONS Set Prizes and the Megaplier prizes awarded in a drawing exceeds the percentage of the prize pools allocated to the Set Prizes, and there are insufficient funds from all sources to pay the Set Prizes for a particular MEGA MILLIONS drawing (including Megaplier prize amounts), then the highest Set Prize (including the Megaplier prize amount) shall become a pari-mutuel prize. If the amount of the highest Set Prize, when paid on a pari-mutuel basis, drops to or below the next highest Set Prize and there are still not sufficient funds to pay the remaining Set Prizes, the next highest Set Prize, including the Megaplier prize amount, shall become a pari-mutuel prize. This procedure shall continue down through all Set Prize levels, if necessary, until all Set Prize levels become pari-mutuel. MEGA MILLIONS and Megaplier prizes will be 3883reduced by the same percentage.
3888(i) MEGA MILLIONS set prizes that become pari-mutuel will be rounded down so that they can be paid in multiples of whole dollars. Funds remaining after rounding shall be carried forward to the prize pool for the next MEGA MILLIONS 3928drawing.
3929(j) MEGA MILLIONS with Megaplier prizes shall be paid in single, lump-sum payment, less any applicable federal income tax withholding.
3949(11) MEGA MILLIONS Play Validation.
3954(a) 3955This subsection (11) describes the validation requirements applicable to Plays made on tickets sold in Florida. Plays sold in other jurisdictions may be subject to different requirements.
3982(b) To be a valid Play and eligible to receive a prize, a Play’s ticket shall satisfy all the requirements established by the Florida Lottery for validation of winning Plays sold through its computer gaming system and any other validation requirements adopted by the Product Group, the MUSL Board and published as the Confidential MUSL Minimum Game Security Standards. The MUSL and the Party Lotteries, including the Florida Lottery, shall not be responsible for Plays that are altered in any manner.
4063(c) Under no circumstances will a claim be paid for either the Grand Prize or the Second Prize without an official Mega Millions ticket matching all game Play, serial number and other validation data residing in the Florida Lottery’s computer gaming system and such ticket shall be the only valid proof of the purchase and the only valid receipt for claiming or redeeming such prize.
4128(d) In addition to the above, in order to be deemed a valid, winning Play, all of the following conditions must be met:
41511. The validation data must be present in its entirety and must correspond, using the computer validation file, to the number selections printed on the ticket for the drawing date(s) printed on the ticket;
41852. The ticket must be intact;
41913. The ticket must not be mutilated, altered, reconstituted, or tampered with in any manner;
42064. The ticket must not be counterfeit or an exact duplicate of another winning ticket;
42215. The ticket must have been issued by the Florida Lottery, or authorized Florida Lottery retailer on official paper stock of the Florida Lottery;
42456. The ticket must not have been stolen, to the knowledge of the Florida Lottery;
42607. Except as provided herein, the ticket must be submitted for payment in accordance with the Florida Lottery’s rule governing payment of prizes. A copy of the current rule can be obtained from the Florida Lottery, Office of the General Counsel, 250 Marriott Drive, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-4011. Subject to the laws and regulations of the Florida Lottery relating to the disclosure of MEGA MILLIONS winners, and at the discretion of the Florida Lottery where disclosure is permitted, the name and city of the winner of a Jackpot prize, or the prize the next level down, will be disclosed in a press conference or in a press release and the winner must participate in a press conference, if requested by the Florida Lottery;
43828. The Play data must have been recorded on the Florida Lottery’s computer gaming system prior to the drawing and the Play data must match this computer record in every respect. In the event of a contradiction between information as printed on the ticket and as accepted by the Florida Lottery’s computer gaming system, the wager accepted by the Florida Lottery’s computer gaming system shall be the valid wager;
44519. The player or computer pick number selections, validation data and the drawing date(s) of an apparent winning Play must appear on the Florida Lottery’s official file of winning Plays, and a Play with that exact data must not have been previously paid;
449410. The play must not be misregistered, and the Play’s ticket must not be defectively printed or printed or produced in error to an extent that it cannot be processed by the Florida Lottery;
452811. The Play must pass validation tests using a minimum of three (3) of the five (5) validation methods as defined in the Mega Millions Finance and Operations Procedures, Section 15. In addition, the Play must pass all other confidential security checks of the Florida Lottery;
457412. In submitting a Play for validation, the claimant agrees to abide by applicable laws, all rules and regulations, instructions, conditions and final decisions of the Florida Lottery;
460213. There must not be any other breach of the MUSL MM Rules in relation to the Play that the Florida Lottery determines justifies invalidation; and
462814. The Play must be submitted to the Florida Lottery.
4638(e) A Play submitted for validation that fails any of the preceding validation conditions shall be considered void, subject to the following determinations:
46611. In all cases of doubt, the determination of the Florida Lottery, shall be final and binding; however, the Florida Lottery is authorized to replace an invalid Play with a Play of equivalent sales price;
46962. In the event a defective ticket is purchased or in the event the Florida Lottery determines to adjust an error, the claimant’s sole and exclusive remedy shall be the replacement of such defective or erroneous ticket(s) with a Play of equivalent sales price;
47403. In the event a Play is not paid by the Florida Lottery and a dispute occurs as to whether the Play is a winning Play, the Florida Lottery is authorized to replace the Play as provided in subparagraph (11)(e)1., above. This shall be the sole and exclusive remedy of the claimant.
4792(12) MEGA MILLIONS Rules and Prohibitions.
4798(a) By purchasing a MEGA MILLIONS ticket, a player agrees to comply with and abide by all rules of the Florida Lottery.
4820(b) 4821Florida MEGA MILLIONS prizes shall be claimed only through a Florida Lottery retailer (for prizes less than $600) or Lottery office beginning on the first business day following the drawing. The Florida Lottery is not authorized to accept claims or pay prizes for MEGA MILLIONS tickets purchased in other jurisdictions. MEGA MILLIONS 4873prize payments shall be made in accordance with this MEGA MILLIONS rule and the rule of the Florida Lottery governing payment of prizes. A copy of the current payment of prizes rule can be obtained from the Florida Lottery, Office of the General Counsel, 250 Marriott Drive, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-4011.
4923(c) Subject to a retailer’s hours of operation and on-line system availability, MEGA MILLIONS lottery tickets are available for purchase daily between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 12:00 midnight 4953(4954ET4955)4956. Ticket sales for a specific MEGA MILLIONS d4965rawing will close at 10:00 p.m. 4971(4972ET4973), 4974on the night of the drawing. Any ticket sold after the close of game will 4989be printed with the next MEGA MILLIONS drawing date.
4998(d) MEGA MILLIONS tickets cannot be canceled.
5005(12) The effective date of this emergency rule is September 13, 2018.
5017Rulemaking Authority 501924.105(9)(a), 5020(b), (c), (e), (f), (h), 502524.109(1), 502624.115(1) FS. 5028Law Implemented, 503024.105(9)(a), 5031(b), (c) (e), (f), (h), 503624.115(1), 503724.124(1) FS. 5039History5040–5041New 9-13-18, Replaces 53ER17-70.