Rule 3770:1-9-986 | Ohio lottery commission game rule number nine hundred and eighty- six.
(A) Title and term. Ohio lottery commission game rule number nine hundred eighty- six, "Jackpot USA," will be conducted at such times and for such periods as the commission may determine. For the purpose of this rule, "sales cycle" will mean any such period beginning on the date when ticket sales are commenced and continuing through the date established by the director as the final sale date.
(B) General design.
(1) Jackpot USA is a multi-state game in which tickets will be drawn from a pool of one million tickets. A ticket is randomly drawn from the pool on the central system based on the prize structure definition for the game. When a player buys a ticket, a prize category is selected using a random number generator also known as an RNG. Winning ticket pools RNGs are specific to each state. Each time a ticket is sold, the odds of being a winner or non-winner equals the percentages specified in the prize structure table of each game; this is achieved by replacing the selected ticket from the pool with the one same/similar in payout, as such, the game utilizes a non-depleting pool. Tickets are sorted in the pool, in a way that follows the percentage of winners and non-winners described in the game specification. Each time a ticket is drawn from the pool the odds of being a winner in a specific winner category or a non-winner equals the percentages specified in the prize structure table of each game.
(2) Each ticket in game rule number nine hundred eighty-six will include one Jackpot USA game and one Jackpot USA bonus game. Jackpot USA is a multi-state game in which winners are determined by matching the sum of the spin numbers with a corresponding value on the liberty spin wheel. The player wins the amount shown on the wheel that matches the sum. Each ticket features three spin numbers, ten liberty spin numbers, and nine USA bonus symbols. The liberty spin wheel is a static image with fixed prize positions. Liberty spin numbers range from six to thirty-three and will not be duplicated on a ticket. Spin numbers range from one to twelve, and their possible sums must always fall within the liberty spin number range. None of the liberty spin numbers may match any of the spin numbers on the same ticket. For example, if the liberty spin numbers are seven, nine, and eleven, then none of the spin numbers can be seven, nine, or eleven. The USA bonus game is a secondary feature on the ticket and is presented as a three-by-three grid with a simple "Key Symbol Match" mechanic. To win in this bonus game, the player must match two of the same symbols within the grid. The "How To Win" section for the bonus game reads: "Match two of the same symbols and win the corresponding amount on the prize legend." If the matched symbol appears in the prize table located beneath the grid, the player wins the amount associated with that symbol. Prizes in the USA bonus game can be won independently or in combination with prizes from the main liberty spin game. The prize legend should display values in ascending order, though the symbols corresponding to each prize amount will vary in position. For both winning and near-win outcomes in the bonus game, the two matching symbols must not appear in the same row or column. This "symbol proximity" avoidance is critical to ensure the win recognition takes at least four secondsan experience standard agreed upon by the MUSL product group for this game type. The range of possible USA bonus prize values is ten dollars, twenty dollars, thirty dollars, forty dollars, or fifty dollars. A ticket is considered non-winning if the sum of the spin numbers does not match any of the liberty spin numbers and fewer than two USA bonus symbols match. Although not every ticket will feature a completely unique combination of numbers and symbols, sufficient variation will be implemented to make duplicates highly unlikely. Additionally, to enhance the near-win experience, approximately forty percent of losing plays will generate spin numbers sums that are within one number of a winning liberty spin number. For instance, if the sum of the spin numbers is sixteen on a non-winning ticket, there should be a prize associated with either fifteen or seventeen on the liberty spin wheel.
(C) Price of tickets. The price of a ticket issued by the commission in game rule number nine hundred eighty-six per wager will be twenty dollars per ticket.
(D) Structure, nature and value of prize awards.
(1) There will be two types of prizes in game rule nine hundred and eighty-six, a "prize award" and a "Progressive Jackpot" award.
(2) As used in this rule, "prize award" will mean one of the following monetary figures, which is the total of all winning prize values appearing on the ticket: one hundred thousand (tier two), twenty-five thousand dollars (tier three), ten thousand dollars (tier four), one thousand dollars (tier five), five hundred dollars (tier six), two hundred dollars (tier seven), one hundred dollars (tier nine plus bonus five), one hundred dollars (tier eight), eighty dollars (tier nine plus bonus three), fifty dollars (bonus five), fifty dollars (tier nine), fifty dollars (tier ten plus bonus three), forty dollars (bonus four), forty dollars (tier ten plus bonus two), thirty dollars (bonus three), thirty dollars (tier ten plus bonus one), twenty dollars (bonus two), twenty dollars (tier ten), and the "Progressive Jackpot (Jackpot Tier)."
(3) The number of prize awards in any sales cycle of game rule number nine hundred eighty-six will depend upon the number of tickets sold during that cycle. However, distribution and availability for public purchase may be affected by, but not limited to, circumstances such as stolen, defective, missing, damaged, promotional, returned or partial reordered tickets. Tickets will be printed in accordance with this rule using random techniques.
(4) Combinations winning each prize award are randomly distributed throughout all tickets printed in any given ticket issuance.
(E) Frequency of prize drawings.
(1) Random imprinting of prize awards on all tickets issued in game rule number nine hundred eighty-six will be accomplished in a manner which complies with the commission's rules and procedures.
(2) When a ticket issued in game rule number nine hundred eighty-six is sold or deemed sold in accordance with this rule, the holder will be deemed to have drawn the prize values and play symbol on that ticket, which determine whether the holder is entitled to a prize award. A prize award will be deemed announced on the date a ticket is purchased.
(F) Validity of tickets.
(1) Each ticket issued in game rule number nine hundred eighty-six will have imprinted thereon at the time of purchase a control number, bar code data, or both supplied by the commission. No prize will be paid by the commission for any tickets without such control number or bar code data.
(2) All winning tickets in game rule number nine hundred and eighty-six are subject to validation by the lottery gaming system under procedures established by the director before payment of any prize.
(3) The only basis for a valid claim will be in compliance with Ohio laws and commission rules and regulations. No valid claim may be premised on human, electronic, or other error in the communication, display or transmission of data, however recorded, displayed or transmitted. No valid claim can be premised upon any intentional human, electronic or other form of communication or transmission of data, which has not been authorized by the lottery commission.
(4) In addition to, but not in limitation of, all other power and authority conferred on the director by the commission's rules, the director may declare a ticket in game rule number nine hundred eighty-six void if it is stolen, deactivated, not sold or deemed not sold in accordance with commission rules; if it is illegible, mutilated, altered, counterfeit, misregistered, reconstituted, miscut, defective, printed or produced in error or incomplete; or if the ticket fails any of the validation tests or procedures established by the director, or if the ticket is obtained in violation of commission rules, including, but not limited to, by way of prize discounting prohibited under rule 3770-3-01 of the Administrative Code. The commission's liability and responsibility for a ticket declared void, if any, is limited to refund of the retail sales price of the ticket or issuance of a replacement ticket of comparable price.
(G) Director's conduct of game rule number nine hundred eighty-six.
(1) The director will conduct game rule number nine eighty-six, and any promotions associated therewith, in a manner consistent with the Lottery Act and the rules of the commission including, without limitation, this rule. The director will inform the public of the provisions of this rule, and the procedures established pursuant hereto, which affect the play of game rule number nine hundred eighty-six. The director reserves the right to declare any instant game as unavailable for sale at any time to maintain game integrity and accountability.
(2) Names and definitions of elements of game rule number nine hundred eighty-six used in this rule are considered generic terms used solely for the purpose of this rule. In actual operation, game rule number nine hundred eighty-six and these elements may be given names and titles chosen by the director.
(3) The director will have discretion to combine existing or future games for promotional purposes in order to increase revenues and to create a different payment structure for prizes to be paid if games are combined, and to authorize any funding mechanism the director deems necessary to accomplish payment of any prize pool.
Last updated October 31, 2025 at 7:41 AM
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