OAR 177-098-0040: Mega Millions Prize Pool

(1) Prize Pool: The prize pool for all prize categories offered by the Party Lotteries shall consist of up to fifty-five percent (55%) of each drawing period's sales, inclusive of contributions to the prize pool accounts and prize reserve accounts, but may be higher or lower based upon the number of winners at each prize level, as well as the funding required to meet a guaranteed Annuity Mega Millions Jackpot Prize as may be required by OAR 177-098-0060(5). (2) Mega Millions Prize Pool Accounts and Prize Reserve Accounts: The Product Group shall set the contribution rates to the prize pool and the prize pool and prize reserve accounts it has established. (a) Prize Reserve Accounts: The Product Group has established the Prize Reserve Account (PRA), which is used to guarantee the payment of valid, but unanticipated, Jackpot Prize claims that may result from a system error or other reason, to fund deficiencies in the Set-Aside Pool, and to fund pari-mutuel prize deficiencies as defined and limited in subsection (3)(c) of this rule. (b) Prize Pool Accounts: The Product Group has established the following prize pool accounts for the Mega Millions games: (A) The Jackpot Prize Pool (JPP), which is used to fund the current Jackpot Prize; (B) The Set Prize Pool (SPP), which is used to fund the set or lower tier prizes. The SSP holds the temporary balances that may result from having fewer than expected winners in the Set Prize categories. The source of the SSP is the Party Lotteries’ weekly prize contributions less actual Set Prize liability; and (C) The Set-Aside Pool (SAP), which is used to fund the payment of the awarded minimum starting annuity Mega Millions Jackpot Prizes and the minimum annuity Mega Millions Jackpot Prize increase, if necessary (subject to the limitations in these rules), as may be set by the Product Group. The source of the SAP funding shall accumulate from the difference between the amount in the Mega Millions Jackpot Prize Pool at the time of a Mega Millions Jackpot Prize win and the amount needed to fund Mega Millions Jackpot Prize payments as determined by the Mega Millions lotteries. (c) Balance Limits: The maximum balance amounts and balance limit triggers are subject to review by the MUSL Finance Committee. The Finance Committee shall have two weeks to state objections, if any, to the approved maximum balance amounts or balance limiter triggers. Approved maximum balance amounts or balance limiter triggers shall become effective no sooner than two weeks after notice is given to the Finance Committee and no objection is stated or sooner if the Committee affirmatively approves the maximum balance amounts or balance limiter triggers. The Group may appeal the Committee’s objections to the full Board. Group approved changes in the maximum balance amounts or balance limiter triggers set by the Product Group shall be effective only after the next Mega Millions Jackpot Prize win. (d) Contribution Rate: The contribution rate to the Jackpot Prize Pool (JPP) from Mega Millions is 27.6305 percent of sales. An amount up to five percent of a Party Lottery’s sales shall be added to a Party Lottery’s Mega Millions Prize Pool contribution and placed in trust in one or more prize pool and prize reserve accounts held by the Product Group at any time that the Party Lottery’s share of the Prize Reserve Account (PRA) is below the amounts designated by the Product Group. (e) Balances: The Product Group may determine to expend all or a portion of the funds in the prize pool accounts (except the Jackpot Prize Pool) and the prize reserve accounts as follows: (A) For the purpose of indemnifying the Party Lotteries in the payment of prizes to be made by the Selling Lotteries; and (B) For the payment of prizes or special prizes in the game; limited to prize pool and prize reserve contribution from lotteries participating in the special prize promotion, subject to the approval of the MUSL Board’s Finance Committee or that Committee’s failure to object after being given two weeks’ notice of the planned action, which actions may be appealed to the full Board by the Product Group. (f) Adjustments: The prize reserve shares of a Party Lottery may be adjusted with refunds to the Party Lottery from the prize reserve account(s) as may be needed to maintain the approved maximum balance and sales percentage shares of the Party Lotteries. (g) Sales Percentage Share: A Party Lottery may contribute to its sales percentage share of prize reserve accounts over time, but in the event of a draw down from a reserve account, a Party Lottery is responsible for payment of its full sales percentage share of the prize reserve account. (h) Remaining Balances: Any amount remaining in the Mega Millions prize pool accounts or prize reserve accounts when the Product Group declares the end of the game shall be returned to the lotteries participating in the prize pool and prize reserve accounts after the end of all claim periods of all Selling Lotteries, carried forward to a replacement game, or otherwise expended in a manner at the election of the individual Members of the Product Group in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction. (3) Expected Prize Payout: The Mega Millions Jackpot Prize payout shall be determined on a pari-mutuel basis. Except as otherwise provided in these rules, all other prizes awarded by party lotteries shall be paid as single payment prizes. All prize payouts are made with the expected prize payout percentages in OAR 177-098-0050, which does not include any additional amount contributed to or held in prize reserves, although the prize payout percentages per draw may vary. (a) Division of Jackpot Prize among Winners: The Jackpot Prize amount shall be divided equally by the number of Mega Millions plays winning the Jackpot Prize. (b) Set Prizes: The Set Prize Pool (for payment of single payment prizes of $1,000,000 or less) shall be carried forward to subsequent draws if all or a portion of it is not needed to pay the Set Prizes awarded in the current draw. (c) Pari-Mutuel Prize Determinations: (A) Available Resources: Except as otherwise provided for in paragraph (C) of this subsection , if the total of the Mega Millions Set Prizes (as multiplied by the respective multiplier if applicable) awarded in a drawing exceeds the percentage of the prize pool allocated to the Mega Millions Set Prizes, then the amount needed to fund the Mega Millions Set Prizes awarded shall be drawn from the following sources, in the following order: (i) The amount available in the Set Prize Pool (SPP), if any; (ii) An amount from the Prize Reserve Account (PRA) described in section (2) of this rule, if available, not to exceed $40,000,000 per drawing. (B) Lack of Sufficient Prize Funds: If, after these sources are depleted, there are not sufficient funds to pay the Set Prizes, then the highest Set Prize shall become a pari-mutuel prize. If the amount of the highest Set Prize, when paid on a pari-mutuel basis, drops to or below the next highest Set Prize and there are still not sufficient funds to pay the remaining Set Prizes awarded, then the next highest Set Prize shall become a pari-mutuel prize. This procedure shall continue down through all Set Prize levels, if necessary, until all Set Prize levels become pari-mutuel prize levels. In that instance, the money available from the funding sources listed in this rule shall be divided among the winning plays in proportion to their respective prize percentages. Mega Millions prizes will be reduced by the same percentage. (C) Independent Calculations: By agreement with the Mega Millions Lotteries, the Mega Millions Lotteries shall independently calculate their set pari-mutuel prize amounts. The Party Lotteries and the Mega Millions Lotteries shall then agree to set the pari-mutuel prize amounts for all lotteries selling the game at the lesser of the independently calculated prize amounts. (4) Advertised Jackpot Prize Annuity Amount: Except as required by OAR 177-098-0060 , the official advertised Mega Millions Jackpot annuity amount is subject to change based on sales forecasts and/or actual sales. (5) Changes to Prize Categories: The number of prize categories and the allocation of the prize fund among the prize categories may be changed at the discretion of the Mega Millions Lotteries, for promotional purposes. Such change shall be announced by the Mega Millions Lotteries.