APPROVED BY WISCONSIN LOTTERY - August, 2021

FEATURES AND PROCEDURES

WISCONSIN'S POWERBALL

A. The theme and name of the game:

The name of this game is WISCONSIN’S POWERBALL. It is a game in which the player selects both a set of five (5) different numbers from one (1) to sixty-nine (69) and one (1) additional number, the Powerball, from one (1) to twenty-six (26). At the player’s option, numbers may be player-selected or randomly selected by computer.

The five (5) winning numbers are randomly selected by a drawing, plus one (1) additional number, the Powerball, is randomly selected by a drawing. A pari-mutuel prize is awarded for matching in any order five (5) of the five (5) numbers drawn plus the Powerball. Set prizes are awarded for matching the Powerball plus matching, in any order, four (4), three (3), two (2), one (1), or zero (0) numbers in the set of five (5) numbers drawn; and for matching, in any order, five (5), four (4), or three (3) of the numbers in the set of five (5) numbers drawn without matching the Powerball.

The Wisconsin Lottery is a member of the Multi-State Lottery (MUSL) Powerball product group. The Powerball Product Group Rules, hereafter called Group Rules, attached hereto are, by reference, incorporated into and made a part of these Features and Procedures. These Features and Procedures shall be interpreted in a manner which is consistent with the Group Rules. In the event of a conflict between these Features and Procedures and the Group Rules, these Features and Procedures shall control.

These WISCONSIN'S POWERBALL Features and Procedures do not apply to tickets for WISCONSIN'S POWERBALL WITH POWER PLAY which has its own Features and Procedures.

For the purposes of the Lottery’s Retailer Performance Program, this game is considered a jackpot game

B. The price of tickets:

  1. The price of a ticket is two dollars ($2.00), or such other price as set by the Lottery Division Administrator, which entitles the player to enter one (1) play (one (1) set of five (5) different numbers from a field from one (1) to sixty-nine (69), plus one (1) additional number, the Powerball, from another field from one (1) to twenty-six (26)) in each drawing for which the ticket is purchased.
  2. Tickets purchased for the current drawing may also be purchased for the next eleven (11) drawings. In its sole discretion, the Lottery may designate that fewer than twelve (12) drawings are available for purchase. Tickets may only be purchased for consecutive drawings starting with the next drawing available for purchase. Each drawing purchased is subject to prize allocations for that same drawing as outlined in section C(1).
  3. Options to select future drawings and player-selected numbers may be limited on Wisconsin Lottery vending machines.
  4. Tickets cannot be cancelled, and there are no refunds. It is the sole responsibility of the player to verify the accuracy of the game plays. The placing of plays is done at the player's own risk through a retailer who enters the plays.
  5. A Lottery Retailer, group of Lottery Retailers, or the Lottery itself shall not directly or knowingly sell a play or combination of plays to any person or entity that would guarantee such purchaser a Jackpot win. A player or group of players shall not directly or knowingly purchase a play or combination of plays that would guarantee such purchaser a Jackpot win.

C. The prize structure, including the number and value of prizes:

  1. All prizes are funded solely out of the tickets purchased. Approximately fifty percent (50%) of each dollar played is allocated to prizes. Prizes are awarded as follows:
     
    MATCH ODDS PRIZE
    5 of 5 plus the Powerball 1:292,201,338 *Guaranteed minimum annuitized jackpot, which is divided equally among all valid game plays which match, in any order, five of the five numbers drawn and the Powerball.
    5 of 5 1:11,688,054 Set* prize of $1,000,000 for each valid game play which correctly matches, in any order, five of the five numbers drawn and not the Powerball.
    4 of 5 plus the Powerball 1:913,130 Set* prize of $50,000 for each valid game play which correctly matches, in any order, four of the five numbers drawn and the Powerball.
    4 of 5 1:36,526 Set* prize of $100 for each valid game play which correctly matches, in any order, four of the five numbers drawn and not the Powerball.
    3 of 5 plus the Powerball 1:14,495 Set* prize of $100 for each valid game play which correctly matches, in any order, three of the five numbers drawn and the Powerball.
    3 of 5 1:580 Set* prize of $7 for each valid game play which correctly matches, in any order, three of the five numbers drawn and not the Powerball
    2 of 5 plus the Powerball 1:702 Set* prize of $7 for each valid game play which correctly matches, in any order, two of the five numbers drawn and the Powerball.
    1 of 5 plus the Powerball 1:92 Set* prize of $4 for each valid game play which correctly matches, in any order, one of the five numbers drawn and the Powerball.
    The Powerball ONLY 1:39 Set* prize of $4 for each valid game play which correctly matches none of the five numbers drawn and the Powerball.
    *The Guaranteed minimum annuitized jackpot amount for each draw is determined by the process described in the Group Rules. Guaranteed minimum annuitized jackpot and set prizes may be decreased or increased according to the Group Rules under certain circumstances. The MUSL Powerball product group may offer guaranteed minimum grand prize amounts or minimum increases in the grand prize amount between drawings or make other changes in the allocation of prize money. A full description of the methods used to change the guaranteed minimum annuitized jackpot and set prizes are found in the attached Group Rules.
  2. If the jackpot prize is not won in a drawing, the prize money allocated for the jackpot prize shall be added as outlined in the Group Rules to the Jackpot Prize Pool for the next drawing.
  3. Jackpot prizes shall be paid, at the election of the jackpot winner, with either a per winner annuity or cash option payment. A jackpot winner has sixty (60) days from the date of ticket validation to select either the annuity payment method or cash option payment method. If a jackpot winner does not select a payment method within sixty (60) days from the date of ticket validation, then the prize shall be paid as an annuity prize. An election made after the winner becomes entitled to the prize is final and cannot be revoked, withdrawn or otherwise changed.
    A cash option payment of the jackpot prize is equal to the total cash held for the Jackpot Prize Pool. If the jackpot prize is a guaranteed amount, then the amount of the cash payment shall be determined by dividing the advertised jackpot prize amount by the annuity factor obtained through MUSL's formal quote process. If an annuity has a cash value below the minimum amount outlined in the Group Rules, the MUSL Powerball Product Group, in its sole discretion, may elect to pay the cash value of the annuity instead.
  4. The holder of a winning ticket may win only one (1) prize per play (set of five (5) numbers plus the Powerball) in connection with the numbers drawn, and shall be entitled only to the highest prize won by matching those numbers.

D. The frequency of drawings:

There will be three (3) drawings each week, usually on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, and normally at 9:59 PM Central Time. Tickets for a drawing may not be sold after 8:59:59 PM on the evening of that drawing; all tickets sold after the 9:00 PM draw break on the day of a drawing will be issued for the next drawing(s).

For a period of time, at the discretion of the Lottery Division Administrator, WISCONSIN’S POWERBALL tickets may count towards entry in Super 2nd Chance drawings. The Wisconsin Lottery will not be responsible for any neglect, failure, or omission on the part of the U.S. Postal Service or any other delivery or courier service used to deliver a player's Super 2nd Chance drawing mailing to the Wisconsin Lottery. The Lottery assumes no responsibility or liability for Super 2nd Chance tickets that are lost, destroyed, or otherwise disqualified from participation in a drawing when such tickets are in the control of the Lottery. All tickets sent to the Wisconsin Lottery to enter the Super 2nd Chance drawings become property of the Wisconsin Lottery and will not be returned. Only tickets sent to and received at the correct address for entry into the Super 2nd Chance drawing will be eligible for the Super 2nd Chance drawing.

E. The method of selecting winners:

Winning numbers are selected by a random drawing conducted in accordance with the Group Rules and procedures of the Multi-State Lottery Association and sec. 565.27 (2) Wis. Stats.

F. The method of making payments to the winners:

  1. Subject to Wisconsin Lottery and Multi-State Lottery Association validation procedures, an original ticket (not a copy) shall be the only proof of a game play or plays. The submission of a winning ticket, signed by one holder of that winning ticket, which shall be a single human being, to the Wisconsin Lottery or a Wisconsin Lottery retailer shall be the sole method of claiming a prize or prizes. Payment of any prize totaling six hundred dollars ($600) or more requires the claimant to provide his or her Social Security number, his or her Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, or a properly completed IRS Form W-8BEN (i.e. a Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Withholding and Reporting) by the claim deadline under section F(9). For-profit and non-profit entities, trusts and other non-human beings are not eligible to play or claim a prize in this game. The Wisconsin Lottery is not responsible for lost or stolen tickets or tickets damaged after purchase such that validation information is not available to complete validation procedures on the ticket.
  2. Tickets are void if stolen, mutilated, altered, counterfeit, unreadable, misregistered, defective, or otherwise fail validation tests. "Defective" includes but is not limited to errors in the computer software, computer hardware, code or programming of the game. The Lottery at its sole discretion reserves the right to pay any mutilated or misregistered ticket based upon the facts and circumstances of the particular claim. Such action by the Lottery is final and non-reviewable.
  3. Prizes less than six hundred dollars ($600) may be claimed and paid through a Wisconsin Lottery office or a Wisconsin Lottery retailer by the claim deadline under section F(9). Payment of any prize totaling one hundred ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred ninety-nine dollars ($199,999) or less may be made by either 1) signing the back of the original winning ticket, completing a Lottery claim form and presenting it in person to any Lottery office for validation and payment by the claim deadline under section F(9), or 2) by signing the back of the original winning ticket, completing a Lottery claim form and mailing it for validation and payment to Lottery Headquarters in Madison. If claiming a prize by mail, the original winning ticket and Lottery claim form must be mailed to Lottery Headquarters in Madison in a properly addressed envelope with the postage duly prepaid by the claim deadline under section F(9). Payment of any prize totaling two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) or more must be made by signing the back of the original winning ticket, completing a Lottery claim form and presenting it in person to the Lottery Headquarters in Madison for validation and payment by the claim deadline under section F(9). Personal appearance at the Lottery headquarters in Madison may be waived at the Lottery Division Administrator's sole discretion. All prizes except the jackpot will be paid in cash or by check.
  4. All tickets sent to the Wisconsin Lottery for the purpose of redemption become property of the Lottery and will not be returned. All tickets winning $600 or more that are submitted in person to a Lottery office for the purpose of redemption will not be returned after the signed ticket is received by the Lottery. Signed, unpaid tickets winning $599 or less that are submitted in person to a Lottery office may be returned at the sole discretion of the Lottery. No winning ticket will be returned once the prize for that ticket has been paid by a Lottery office, regardless of the winning amount. Non-winning tickets that are submitted in person to a Lottery office may be returned at the sole discretion of the Lottery.
  5. Cash option jackpot prizes shall be paid by check or wire transfer. All annuitized jackpot prizes shall be paid in thirty (30) graduated payments, with the initial payment being made by check, to be followed by twenty-nine (29) annual payments funded by an annuity. Funds for the initial payment of an annuitized prize shall be made available by MUSL for payment by the party lottery by the fifteenth calendar day following the drawing. A state may elect to make the initial payment from its own funds after validation, with notice to MUSL.
    In the event of the death of a jackpot prize winner during the payment period, the Product Group, in its sole discretion, upon the petition by the estate of the lottery winner (the "estate") to the Lottery ticket, and subject to Wisconsin law, may accelerate the payment of all of the remaining lottery proceeds to the estate. If the Product Group makes such a determination, then securities and cash held for the deceased jackpot prize winner, which represents the present value of that portion of the future lottery payments that are to be accelerated, shall be distributed to the estate. The valuation of the securities and determination of the present value of the accelerated lottery payments shall be at the sole discretion of the Product Group.
  6. An unclaimed prize is not shared among those who claimed the prize. (For example: for a particular drawing, there were two (2) winning plays for the jackpot, but only one (1) prize claim based on only one (1) of the tickets is made within one hundred eighty (180) days after the drawing date. The one (1) prize claimant is entitled to only one-half (1/2) share of the jackpot.)

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