Code of Maine Rules › 18 - DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES › 553 - BUREAU OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND LOTTERY OPERATIONS (BABLO) › Chapter 20 - POWERBALL RULES › Part II - Powerball Game Rules › Section 553-20-II-3.0 - Powerball Game Description

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
3.1 Powerball is a
				  five (5) out of sixty-nine (69) plus one (1) out of twenty-six (26) numbers
				  lottery game drawn every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday as part of the
				  Powerball Drawing, which pays the Grand Prize, at the election of the player
				  made in accordance with these rules or by a default election made in accordance
				  with these rules, either on an annuitized pari-mutuel basis or as a single cash
				  lump sum payment of the total funding held in the Grand Prize Pool (GPP) for
				  the winning Drawing on a pari-mutuel basis. Except as provided in these rules,
				  all other prizes are paid on a single payment basis. Powerball Winning Numbers
				  applicable to determine Powerball prizes will be determined in the Powerball
				  Drawing event.
To play Powerball, a player shall select (or computer pick)
					 five (5) different numbers, from one (1) through sixty-nine (69) and one (1)
					 additional number from one (1) through twenty-six (26). The additional number
					 may be the same as one of the first five numbers selected by the player.
Powerball Winning Numbers applicable to determine Powerball
					 prizes will be determined in the Powerball Drawing. During the Drawing, five
					 (5) numbers shall be drawn from the first set of sixty-nine (69) numbers, and
					 one (1) number shall be drawn for the second set of twenty-six (26) numbers,
					 which shall constitute the Winning Numbers.
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 Play. Powerball Plays may be purchased from a
					 Selling Lottery approved sales outlet in a manner approved by the Selling
					 Lottery and in accordance with MUSL Rules.
The Drawing Procedures shall include procedures for
					 randomly selecting the Powerball game Winning Numbers and the Power Play
					 multiplier
3.2
Claims.
Unless otherwise permitted by a selling lottery, a ticket
				  (subject to the validation requirements set forth in Section
				  7.0 of these Rules (Ticket
				  Validation)) or properly registered ticketless transaction shall be the only
				  proof of a game Play or Plays and 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 play slip 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.
3.3
Cancellations Prohibited;
Request for Plays, Returned Plays, Incomplete Transaction Plays, Stolen Plays
				  and Refunds for Game Cancellations.
3.3.1
Plays Non-Cancellable.
In all instances, a Play recorded on the
				  CGS ("Computer Gaming System") may not be voided or cancelled by returning the
				  ticket or ticketless transaction to the Retailer or to the Selling Lottery,
				  including tickets that are misprinted, illegible, print in error, or for any
				  reason not successfully transferred to an authorized selling entity or
				  Player.
3.3.2
Request for
				  Plays.
A lottery may conduct future sales through a subscription or
				  other system that does not immediately record such sales on the CGS. A "Request
				  for Play" is a sale that is not immediately recorded on the CGS, but is instead
				  recorded onto the CGS at some future time prior to a draw event. At the sole
				  discretion of the lottery, authorized sales through a subscription or other
				  system which have not been recorded on the CGS (instead recorded as "Request
				  for Plays"), may be cancelled at any time prior to the time the Request for
				  Play is recorded as a Play on the CGS. If a Request for Play is cancelled, it
				  shall not be recorded on the CGS.
Per 3.3, once a Play is recorded on the CGS, it may not be
					 cancelled at any time. Any cancelled "Request for Play" shall not be included
					 in sales data reports to MUSL.
3.3.3
Returned Plays.
To promote
				  good Player or Retailer relations, a Selling Lottery, at its sole discretion,
				  may develop a method of compensating Players or Retailers for Plays accepted by
				  the Selling Lottery as returned to the Selling Lottery ("Returned Plays") that
				  are misprinted, illegible, printed in error, future Plays affected by changes
				  in game features by the Selling Lottery or due to game cancellations.
3.3.3.1 Returned Plays may not be cancelled
				  or voided. Returned Plays are not reported to MUSL.
3.3.3.2 The Selling Lottery must remit its
				  required prize pool contributions on all Plays accepted as returned Plays by
				  the Selling Lottery.
3.3.3.3
				  Returned Plays may not be claimed for a prize by any person or entity,
				  including the Selling Lottery. Any prizes which would have been won on a
				  Returned Play shall become an unclaimed prize at the end of the prize claim
				  period.
3.3.4
Incomplete Transaction Plays
. Incomplete Transaction plays occur
				  when a Retailer begins a Play transaction as requested by a Player, and the
				  Play is registered on the CGS, but the transaction is terminated prior to
				  transferring Play confirmation to the Player, there is no attempt to print the
				  Play on a ticket, and the Player has not paid for the Play. Transaction
				  terminations may be due to time sensitivities, communications loss or other
				  issues as accepted by the Selling Lottery.
3.3.4.1 A Selling Lottery, at its sole
				  discretion, may develop an approved method of managing Incomplete Transaction
				  Plays, subject to these provisions.
3.3.4.2 Incomplete Transaction plays may not
				  be cancelled or voided.
3.3.4.3 The
				  Selling Lottery must remit its required prize pool contributions on any
				  Incomplete Transaction Plays. At its sole discretion, the Selling Lottery may
				  develop a method of compensation Retailers for Incomplete Transaction Plays if
				  Retailers are required to reimburse Selling Lotteries for prize pool
				  contributions.
3.3.4.4 Incomplete
				  Transaction Plays may not be claimed for a prize by any person or entity
				  including the Retailer. Any prize which cannot be claimed as a prize under this
				  Rule but would otherwise have been won on an Incomplete Transaction play shall
				  become an unclaimed prize at the end of the prize claim period of the drawing
				  for which the Incomplete Transaction Play was recorded. Incomplete Transaction
				  Plays are not reported to MUSL.
3.3.5
Stolen Plays
. Plays
				  reported as stolen from a Retailer that have been recovered cannot be accepted
				  by the Selling Lottery as Returned Plays.
3.3.5.1 Selling lotteries may compensate a
				  Retailer for the loss from theft if a Selling Lottery, solely at its
				  discretion, determines assume such a loss, but Stolen Plays cannot be cancelled
				  or voided.
3.3.5.2 Ownership of
				  Stolen Plays, and whether any party has a right to claim prizes on Stolen
				  Plays, shall be determined by the rules of the Selling Lottery.
3.3.6
Game
				  Cancellation
. In the event of cancellation of the Game by the Product
				  Group prior to the occurrence of all drawings for which Plays have been sold
				  and recorded on the CGS, the Selling Lottery may provide a refund mechanism for
				  such Plays to the Players, and the Selling Lottery shall not be required to
				  remit its prize pool contributions for any such refunded Plays.
3.3.7
Selling Lotteries Prohibited from
				  Claiming Prizes
. Selling Lotteries and lottery officials are prohibited
				  from claiming any prizes on Plays that are owned by the Selling Lottery through
				  "Returned Plays" or otherwise acquired and held by the Selling Lottery. Any
				  prizes that would otherwise be won on Plays owned or acquired by Selling
				  Lotteries shall become unclaimed prizes at the end of the prize claim
				  period.