Title 9 Part 5004

Types of drawings.

Drawings shall be held for lottery games using methods, controls and equipment approved by the commission so as to ensure random equal chance among all participants. These drawings shall take the form designated by the commission (e.g., frequency of drawings, semi-finalist and finalist drawings, special drawings). The commission may, from time to time, designate special features of a drawing, for which additional prizes may be awarded from accumulated prize reserve monies.

Time of drawings.

Lottery drawings shall be held at the times designated by the commission. Drawings for multi-jurisdictional games shall be conducted at times authorized by requirements applicable to the party lotteries participating in such games.

Place of drawings.

Drawings shall be held at locations approved by the commission. Drawings for multi-jurisdictional games shall be conducted at places authorized by requirements applicable to the party lotteries participating in such games. Drawings in New York State shall be open to the public and representatives of the news media, subject to advance notice to the commission and any procedures the commission may require in the commission’s discretion.

Manner of conducting drawings.

The manner of conducting drawings shall be announced and designated by the commission in accordance with the rules and regulations governing each lottery game. Drawings for multi-jurisdictional games shall be conducted in a manner authorized by requirements applicable to the party lotteries participating in such games. The manner of conducting drawings shall be designed to ensure an equal chance of winning to each participant.

Number and amount of prizes.

For each lottery game, the commission shall designate the number and type of prizes to be awarded. The number of winning plays in each drawing may vary depending upon game design, the combinations played, the number of tickets sold, and the number of valid winning tickets claimed.

The commission may postpone any drawing and publicize the same if the commission finds, in the commission’s discretion, that such postponement will serve and protect the public interest.

Guidelines.

The commission shall establish guidelines for each drawing that detail the type, time, place and manner of drawing; the number and amount of prizes to be awarded, and the procedures or changes in procedures applicable to that drawing.

Entry of play.

For a lottery draw game, a purchaser may submit a completed play slip applicable to such game to a lottery sales agent for the issuance of a bet ticket. Play slips shall be available at no cost to the purchaser and shall have no pecuniary or prize value or constitute evidence of purchase or number selections. A purchaser's game and number, symbol, or character selections may also be entered manually into a computer terminal by a lottery sales agent or into a self-service vending machine by the purchaser, for draw games that permit the purchaser to make selections. (See Section 5007.14 of this Title for lottery raffle game rules.) A purchaser may make any selections by quick pick, unless specific games rules state otherwise. A play may be entered by other means only as approved by the commission. A lottery sales agent shall not permit the use of facsimiles of play slips, copies of play slips, or other materials that are inserted into the terminal's play-slip reader or read by the terminal’s optical reader that are not printed or approved by the commission. A purchaser may purchase plays for several drawings on the same bet ticket, unless specific game rules state otherwise or limit the number of successive drawings. A purchaser may purchase plays for a specified future drawing, unless specific game rules state otherwise, subject to limits the commission may set concerning how far into the future a purchaser may purchase a play for an identified drawing.