West Virginia Code of State Rules › Agency 179 - Lottery Commission › Title 179 - LEGISLATIVE RULE WEST VIRGINIA LOTTERY › Series 179-01 - West Virginia Lottery State Lottery Rules › Section 179-1-5 - Instant Games

Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 28, July 12, 2024
5.1. The
				Director may select, operate and contract to and for the operation of instant
				games which meet the criteria generally set forth in this section.
5.2. Instant game criteria.
5.2.a. The price of an instant game lottery
				ticket shall not be more than $50.00 except by special promotions authorized by
				the Director.
5.2.b. Winners of an
				instant game are determined by the matching or specified alignment of the play
				numbers, digits and symbols on the lottery ticket. The ticket bearer shall
				notify the Lottery of the win and submit the winning lottery ticket to the
				Lottery as specified by the Director. The winning lottery ticket shall be
				validated by the Lottery through the use of the validation number and any other
				means as specified by the Director.
5.2.c. The instant game shall be designed to
				pay out prizes in amounts on a numerical frequency to be determined by the
				Director.
5.2.d. The duration of
				lottery ticket sales for an instant game shall be determined by the Director.
				The start date and closing date of the instant game shall be publicly
				announced.
5.2.e. The frequency of
				drawing and the method of selection of a winner in any instant game shall be
				determined by the Director in specific game rules.
5.2.f. At the Director's discretion, an
				instant game may include a special prize drawing or drawings as well as other
				methods of awarding the moneys accumulated in the unclaimed prize fund which
				will also stimulate the broad variety of games offered by the West Virginia
				Lottery. The Director shall follow Commission procedure for the payment of
				additional prizes from the unclaimed prize fund within the game rules
				structure.
5.2.g. The procedures
				for claiming instant prizes are as follows:
5.2.g.1. A claimant shall present the winning
				lottery ticket for a prize of $600 or less to any lottery retailer or licensed
				lottery sales agent or mail the signed lottery ticket to the Director.
				Additionally, selected retailers approved by the commission may redeem lottery
				tickets for a prize of $600 to $5,000. The lottery retailer or licensed lottery
				sales agent shall verify the claim and, if the claim is a valid winner, make
				payment of the amount due the claimant. In the event the lottery retailer or
				licensed lottery sales agent cannot verify the claim, the claimant shall fill
				out a claim form, as provided by the Director, which may be obtained from any
				lottery retailer or licensed lottery sales agent and present or mail the
				completed form, together with the disputed lottery ticket to the Director. A
				payment in the form of a check, EFT and/or an ACH payment or credit to an
				established iLottery account shall be made to the claimant in payment of the
				amount due if the claim is validated by the Director. In the event that the
				claim is not validated by the Director, the claimant shall be promptly notified
				that his or her claim is denied.
5.2.g.2. The claimant of a prize of more than
				$600 shall complete a claim form and mail or present the form together with the
				winning lottery ticket to the Director, or designee. Upon validation by the
				Director, a check shall be forwarded to the claimant in payment of the amount
				due, less any applicable federal and state income tax withholdings and less any
				withholding requested by the child support enforcement division. In the event
				that the claim is not validated by the Director, the claim shall be denied and
				the claimant shall be notified within five (5) days of the
				determination.
5.2.g.3. Any lottery
				ticket not passing all the validation checks specified by the Director is
				invalid and ineligible for any prize and shall not be paid. However, the
				Director may, solely at his or her option, replace an invalid lottery ticket
				with an unplayed lottery ticket or tickets of equivalent sales price from any
				other current game or issue a refund of the sales price. In the event a
				defective lottery ticket is purchased, the only responsibility or liability of
				the Director is the replacement of the defective lottery ticket with another
				unplayed lottery ticket or tickets of equivalent sale price from any other
				current game.