Play characteristics and restrictions
Compiled text through Sep 15, 2021
Register checked through Jul 29, 2026
Later Register activity found — review the notice before relying on the compiled text.
Dates and status
- Compiling agency
- Executive Department
- Text status
- Source receipt
- Compiled text through
- Sep 15, 2021
- Register checked through
- July 29, 2026/Vol. XLVIII, Issue 30 (2026-07-29)
- Activity status
- Later Register activity found — review the notice before relying on the compiled text.
- Latest notice
- SGC-48-25-00025-A · Adopted rule · Feb 18, 2026
- Source snapshot
- Jun 6, 2026
(a)
(1)Mega Millions tickets may only be sold to persons 18 years of age or older.
(2)The commission shall penalize a licensee found to have violated paragraph (1) of this subdivision according to the provisions of section 5001.27(c)(2) of this Title.
(b)Mega Millions tickets may not be sold to nor prizes claimed by the following persons within New York State:
(1)any officer or employee of the commission; or
(2)any contractor, subcontractor, or consultant, or officer or employee of a contractor, subcontractor, or consultant, if such person is directly involved in the production of lottery tickets, the operation or observation of lottery games or drawings, or the processing of lottery prize claims or payments; or
(3)any person subject to a contract with the commission if such contract contains a provision prohibiting such person from purchasing a lottery ticket or receiving a lottery prize; or
(4)any spouse, child, brother, sister or parent residing as a member of the same household in the principal place of abode of any such persons. This section shall not be deemed to prohibit the sale of a lottery ticket or the payment of a lottery prize to an officer or employee of the commission or to a contractor, subcontractor, or consultant or to an officer or employee of a contractor, subcontractor, or consultant if such sale or prize payment is not for the individual benefit of such person and is made in connection with an official investigation, audit, marketing effort or other activity authorized by the commission.
(c)Mega Millions tickets may not be purchased in any other state by any commission employee or any spouse, child, brother, sister or parent residing as a member of the same household in the principal place of residence of any commission employee.
(d)Under no circumstances will a claim be paid for either the jackpot prize or the second prize without a Mega Millions ticket matching all game play, serial number and other validation data residing in the commission’s draw gaming system computer and such ticket shall be the only valid proof of the wager placed and the only valid receipt for claiming or redeeming any prize.
(e)Mega Millions tickets may not be canceled.
(f)For the Mega Millions game, purchasers may submit a manually completed Mega Millions play slip to a lottery sales agent to have issued a Mega Millions ticket. Mega Millions 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. The use of mechanical, electronic, computer generated or any other non-manual method of marking play slips that has not been authorized by the commission is prohibited. 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 that are not printed or approved by the commission. A lottery sales agent shall not permit any device to be connected to a lottery terminal to enter plays, except as approved by the commission.
(g)Purchasers may orally convey their selections to a lottery sales agent to have issued a Mega Millions ticket. Such selections shall be entered manually into the computer terminal by the lottery sales agent.
(h)Purchasers may use player express terminals if available for the purchase of Mega Millions tickets, and may make number selections by such methods as may be permitted by the commission’s gaming system. Those methods may include, but are not limited to, inserting a completed Mega Millions play slip into the optical mark reader, manually entering the selections on the touch screen, or selecting a quick pick option.
(i)It shall be the sole responsibility of the Purchaser to verify the accuracy and condition of the data printed on the Mega Millions ticket at the time of purchase. Neither the lottery sales agent nor the commission lottery sales be liable for any errors in the accuracy and condition of the data printed on the ticket occurring for any reason, after the purchaser leaves the lottery sales agent location.
(j)Mega Millions tickets may be purchased for one through 26 consecutive drawings, commencing with the next scheduled drawing after the receipt and processing of the purchaser's play slip.