53ER22-43. Sale of Lottery Tickets

(1) Sale of Lottery Tickets ‒ General Provisions.

(a) Retailers shall sell only lottery tickets of the Florida Lottery (“Lottery”) and no other state or national lottery tickets, except as may be expressly authorized by the Florida Lottery.

(b) Retailers are prohibited from selling lottery tickets to anyone under the age of eighteen.

(c) Retailers shall sell lottery tickets during the retailer’s normal business hours, unless otherwise authorized by the Lottery.

(d) Retailers may not sell tickets at any price other than that established by the Lottery.

(e) No person or entity other than the Florida Lottery, an active contracted Lottery retailer, or employee acting on behalf of the retailer may sell lottery tickets.

(f) Delivery of lottery tickets or ticket stock to a retailer shall be made only by an authorized Lottery representative. Without prior Lottery approval, a retailer shall not accept lottery tickets to be sold from another retailer or anyone except an authorized Lottery agent.

(g) All ticket sales shall be final, except as provided in paragraph (2)(d), below.

(h) A retailer shall sell lottery tickets only at the authorized location stated on its Certificate of Authority.

(i) A retailer shall not exchange a book(s), ticket(s), or ticket stock with its other retailer location(s) or with any other retailer.

(2) Online Terminal Games.

For purposes of this subsection (2), the term “online terminal game” means Draw games. A “play slip” is defined as an original paper play slip issued and approved by the Florida Lottery for an online terminal game or a digital play slip for a Draw game generated on a mobile device using the Florida Lottery Mobile Convenience App (“App’). Except where necessary herein to differentiate between a paper play slip and a digital play slip, the term “play slip” shall be inclusive of both types of play slips.

(a) Players may make their play selections by: using a play slip; selecting their numbers using a Florida Lottery vending machine (“vending machine”), if a vending machine for Draw game ticket purchases is available at the retailer location; by telling the retailer their desired selections or requesting Quick Picks; requesting to use the Play it Again feature; or purchasing QuickTicketsTM, if available.

1. Play Slips.

a. Paper Play Slips. Online terminal game paper play slips must be hand-marked by the player in blue or black ink or pencil. Retailers shall not accept facsimiles of paper play slips, copies of paper play slips, or other materials that are inserted into the terminal’s play slip reader that are not printed or approved by the Lottery.

b. Digital Play Slips. For Draw game purchases, a digital play slip can be created by a player on his or her mobile device using the App and will contain a barcode to be scanned by the retailer and processed through the retailer terminal for a ticket purchase. Additionally, a digital play slip may be used by the player to purchase tickets through a vending machine that provides for Draw games.

2. QuickTicketTM. Where available, QuickTickets may be purchased for Powerball® and Mega Millions® draw games. QuickTickets are tickets that have pre-selected Quick Pick numbers printed on tickets under latex scratch areas. Players are to remove the latex coverings by scratching the latex coverings to reveal the Quick Pick numbers. The ability to apply add-on features is not available with QuickTicket. Advance Play and the Play It Again feature are not available with QuickTicket.

QuickTickets are sold at $4 and $10 price points. The $4 QuickTicket has two (2) plays, presented in horizontal lines, designated by “A” and “B.” The $10 QuickTicket has five (5) plays, presented in horizontal lines, designated by “A” through “E.”

QuickTickets are not valid until activated by an authorized Lottery retailer. Issuance of a QuickTicket receipt confirms activation. QuickTicket plays are entered into the next available drawing after activation. Players do not have a choice of draw dates. Once activated, a QuickTicket cannot be cancelled.

3. Telling the Retailer. When requested by a player, a retailer is authorized to manually enter Draw game numbers or enter play selection features, such as Quick Pick, as specified by the player.

4. Vending Machine. If a vending machine is available at the retailer location and the vending machine provides for Draw game purchases, the vending machine may be used by a player to purchase Draw game tickets for one or more games and for one or more drawings. Neither a retailer nor a player can process the cancelation of a Draw game ticket through a vending machine. At the request of a player, the retailer shall make a good faith effort to cancel cancelable Draw game tickets that are purchased through a vending machine by using the retailer’s Lottery terminal.

5. Play It Again. If available, a player may request to “Play it Again” to replay a previously purchased Florida Lottery Draw game ticket. If requested, a retailer shall process the original ticket provided by the player and print a new ticket which will have the same selected numbers, play amount, number of panels, number of advance play drawings, draw time and play type for PICK games, and any add-on features as the original ticket, except as follows. An original ticket with advance play will be rejected and cannot be replayed if the number of drawings on the ticket exceeds the number of advance play drawings available due to implementation of an advance play countdown for the Draw game for which the original ticket was purchased. Tickets older than sixty (60) days cannot be replayed. Tickets purchased using the Play It Again feature are subject to the same cancellation provisions as the original ticket.

(b) Retailers shall not permit any device to be connected to a lottery terminal to enter plays for online terminal games, except as specifically approved in writing, in advance, by the Lottery.

(c) Draw game lottery tickets shall not be sold after the close of game for the specific drawing for which they were designated. The time of close of game for each Draw game is set forth in the rule for that game. A copy of the current Draw game rules may be obtained from the Florida Lottery, Office of the General Counsel, 250 Marriott Drive, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-4011.

(d) A retailer shall make a good faith effort to cancel a cancelable Draw game lottery ticket upon the request of a player if the request is made within the cancelation period set forth in the specific Draw game rule.

(3) Scratch-Off Games.

(a) Each book of Scratch-Off game lottery tickets (also known as instant game lottery tickets) shall be activated prior to any tickets from the book being sold.

(b) Scratch-Off lottery tickets for a game shall not be sold after the announced official end-of-game date of the respective Scratch-Off game.

(c) Players may purchase Scratch-Off lottery tickets through a vending machine if a vending machine is available at the retailer location.

(4) The effective date of this emergency rule is August 1, 2022.

(5) This emergency rule replaces Emergency Rule 53ER20-53, F.A.C.

Rulemaking Authority 24.105(9)(h), 24.109(1), 24.112(1) FS. Law Implemented 24.105(9)(h), 24.112(7) FS. History–New 8-1-22, Replaces 53ER20-53.