Rules for Online Games
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BOARD POLICY RULES FOR ONLINE GAMES Policy #: O - 109 Approved: NMLA Board of Directors with revision(s) approved by the CEO per Board instruction to maintain and update game/product policies Issued: July 14, 2000 Revision #: 25 Revised: Jan. 11, 2001; Mar. 14, 2002; Sep. 26, 2002; Aug. 21, 2003; Feb. 26, 2004; Aug. 28, 2004; May 26, 2005; Aug. 17, 2006; Jul. 26, 2007; Jan. 22, 2009; Sep. 24, 2009; Dec. 3, 2009; Aug. 31, 2011; Feb. 7, 2013; Jul. 11, 2013; Nov. 5, 2013; Mar. 4, 2014; Sep. 23, 2014; Apr. 9, 2015; Oct. 26, 2015; Jun. 8, 2016; May 15, 2018; Jun. 6, 2018; Apr. 2, 2019; Jun. 3, 2020 NOTHING CONTAINED IN THESE GUIDELINES IS INTENDED TO CREATE A CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, OR TO ALTER THE AT-WILL NATURE OF EMPLOYMENT RULES FOR ONLINE GAMES Purpose These rules are the guidelines and regulations for the New Mexico Lottery Authority Online Games. General Use and Applicability These rules are applicable to New Mexico Lottery staff, retailers, vendors, and players. Definitions “Advance play” means a play for an eligible game purchased in advance for a future drawing that can be selected by the specific day of the week within seven (7) days of the purchase of the ticket. “Board” or “NMLA Board” means the New Mexico Lottery Authority Board of Directors, as appointed pursuant to the New Mexico Lottery Act. “Central system” or “on-line system” means the central computer system used to control and monitor the online gaming environment to which the terminals are connected by a communication medium authorized by the NMLA. “CEO” means the Chief Executive Officer of the Lottery appointed by the Board pursuant to the New Mexico Lottery Act. “Drawing” means the formal process of randomly selecting winning numbers in accordance with MUSL Group Drawing Procedures and the New Mexico Lottery On-line Games Drawing Procedures Manual. “Exchange ticket” means a new ticket that is produced when cashing a winning prize on a multi- draw ticket in which there are any remaining plays on the ticket for future drawings. “Game board” or “panel” means the area of the play slip that contains the numbered squares to be marked by the player. Each set of numbers on the play slip, marked by a letter, is considered a separate board. “Game play” or “play” means the numbers that appear on a ticket produced by the terminal, as a single lettered selection and are to be played by a player in the game. “Game ticket” or “ticket” means a play or plays produced that meet the specifications in the Ticket Validation section. “Multi-draw” means a play for the current drawing plus a specified number of subsequent drawings. The number of future drawings available is determined at the sole discretion of the Lottery. “MUSL” means the Multi-State Lottery Association, a government-benefit association wholly owned and operated by the Party Lotteries. “New Mexico Lottery Authority”, “New Mexico Lottery”, “NMLA”, “Lottery”, or “Authority” means the New Mexico Lottery Authority, a public body, politic and corporate, separate and apart from Page 2 of 18 the state, constituting a governmental instrumentality, established and operated pursuant to the New Mexico Lottery Act. “New Mexico Lottery Act”, “Lottery Act”, or “the Act” means the New Mexico Lottery Act, NMSA, 1978, Sections 6-24-1 through 6-24-34, as the same may be amended from time to time. “Online lottery game” means a lottery game that is connected to a central computer via a communications system through which a player selects a specified group of numbers or symbols out of a predetermined range of numbers or symbols and purchases a ticket bearing the player- selected or computer-generated numbers or symbols for eligibility in a drawing regularly scheduled in accordance with game rules. “Party Lottery” or “Member Lottery” means a state lottery or lottery of a political subdivision or entity that has joined MUSL and has joined in selling the games offered by MUSL. “Play slip” means a card approved by the NMLA used in marking a player's game plays and containing one or more game boards. “Prize expense” or “prize payout” means the percentage of sales expected to be paid out as prizes by game design. “Prize fund” means the amount of money available from each game’s ticket sales from which prizes are paid. “Prize pool” means the prize expense recognized on an individual drawing and any amounts of previous prize expense not won and carried forward by game design. “Product Group” means a group of lotteries that have joined together to offer a common product pursuant to the terms of the Multi-State Lottery Agreement and the Product Group’s own rules. “Quick pick” means the random selection of numbers by the on-line system which appears on a ticket and are played by a player in the game. “Raffle” means a number-match game with a limited number of tickets available that will be sold within a limited sales period with set prizes that can be won. “Retailer” or “Lottery Retailer” means a person or legal entity authorized by the NMLA to sell Lottery tickets pursuant to the New Mexico Lottery Act. “Set prize” means a prize that is advertised to be paid by a single cash payment and, except in instances outlined in these rules, will be equal to the prize amount established by the NMLA and/or MUSL for the prize level. “Terminal” or “Lottery terminal” means a device authorized by the NMLA to function in an online, interactive mode with the central system for the purpose of issuing lottery tickets and entering, receiving, and processing lottery transactions, including the purchasing of tickets, the validation of tickets, and the transmission of reports. “Ticketless transaction” means plays sold through subscription, internet, or non-standard terminals. (See Terms and Conditions for Online Game Purchases) Page 3 of 18 “Ticket validation” means the process retailers use to determine if a game ticket is a winner. “Winning numbers” means the numbers randomly selected at each drawing, which shall be used to identify winning plays contained on a game ticket for that drawing. “Winning play” or “winning ticket” means a ticket produced in advance for a specific drawing which contains at least the minimum requisite number of matches to the winning numbers drawn for the corresponding drawing, that meets ticket validation requirements, and is validated by the central system. Policy 1. Sale of On-Line Game Tickets a. Only Retailers who have entered into a Retailer contract with the NMLA and have been approved by the NMLA, at the NMLA’s sole discretion, for the sale of on-line games and the NMLA Claim Center, and any NMLA staff or designees assigned to NMLA promotional and special events, are authorized to sell on-line game tickets. On-line game tickets may only be sold at the Retailer business location(s) listed in the Retailer contract for which the NMLA has authorized the sale of tickets for on-line games, at a remote site as authorized by the NMLA, or as a properly and validly registered ticketless transaction play. Nothing contained herein shall prohibit the NMLA from selling tickets, conducting promotions, or conducting drawings at locations other than the Lottery headquarters. b. Each on-line game ticket shall sell for the retail sales price authorized by the CEO or as authorized by the CEO for promotional purposes. c. Retailers shall sell tickets for any and all on-line games, as directed by the NMLA. d. A ticket may be voided or cancelled only for those games designated by the NMLA. No ticket that can be used to claim a prize shall be returned to the Lottery for credit. If a player makes a selection on a play slip that is incorrect, the player may void that game board’s selection prior to its insertion into the terminal by marking the VOID box for that game board on the play slip. e. An exchange ticket is produced when cashing a prize on a multi-draw ticket in which there are any remaining plays on the ticket for future drawings. 2. Game Description The Game Description for each on-line game shall be included as part of these rules and shall contain the following information: a. Game name; b. Retail sales price; c. Play style; d. Prize structure; e. Days of drawings. 3. Method of Playing an On-line Game a. The CEO or designee, subject to final approval by the CEO, shall determine the method of play for each game. Page 4 of 18 b. Plays may be entered manually by a Retailer using the lottery terminal keypad, by means of a play slip provided by the NMLA and hand-marked by the player, or by such other means approved by the NMLA. Retailers shall not permit the use of facsimiles or copies of play slips or other materials that are inserted into the terminal play slip reader that are not printed or approved by the NMLA, nor shall they permit the use of any play slips that are not hand marked by the player. Retailers shall not permit any device to be connected to a lottery terminal to enter plays or for any other purpose, except as approved by the NMLA. c. Odds information available at Lottery Retailers provides odds of winning a prize in each on-line game. Detailed prize odds are posted on the New Mexico Lottery website at nmlottery.com. d. Additional information can be obtained from a Lottery Retailer, Lottery Customer Service at (505) 342-7600, or the NMLA website at nmlottery.com.