Section 3770:1-9-635 - Game rule number six hundred thirty-five(A) Title and term. Ohio lottery commission game rule number six hundred thirty-five, "EZPLAY(TM) Crossword," shall be conducted at such times and for such periods as the commission may determine. For the purpose of this rule, "sales cycle" shall mean any such period, including reprints, beginning on the date when ticket sales are commenced and continuing through the date established by the director as the date on which sales with respect to tickets allocated to sales agents during the period in game rule number six hundred thirty-five will cease. (B) General design. (1) Game rule number six hundred thirty-five is a "Letter Match" game and is generally known as an "instant lottery." A ticket for game rule six hundred thirty-five is terminal generated. (2) The holder of a valid ticket will have a crossword puzzle player area containing letters and eighteen "Call Letters" will be displayed. If the "Call Numbers" that are displayed on the ticket match three or more horizontal or vertical words in the crossword puzzle play area such that the three or more words are completely marked with matching letters the player wins. An unbroken string of letters cannot be interrupted by a black space and each word must contain every single letter square between black spaces. Words within words are not eligible for a prize. (3) As used in this rule, "prize award" shall mean one of the following monetary figures which is the total of all winning prize values appearing on the ticket: three dollars, five dollars, ten dollars, twenty-five dollars, fifty dollars, one hundred dollars, five thousand dollars and thirty thousand dollars. Each ticket in game rule number six hundred thirty-five shall be imprinted in such a way that prize awards from the set listed above may be won. (C) Price of tickets. The price of a ticket issued by the commission in game rule number six hundred thirty-five shall be three dollars. (D) Structure, nature and value of prize awards. (1) There shall be one type of prize in game rule number six hundred thirty-five called a "regular prize award." (2) The only "prize values" which shall appear on a ticket in game rule number six hundred thirty-five are: three dollars, five dollars, ten dollars, twenty-five dollars, fifty dollars, one hundred dollars, five thousand dollars and thirty thousand dollars. (a) Holder of a valid winning ticket matching "Call Letters" to form three complete words in the crossword puzzle play area shall win a regular prize award of three dollars; (b) Holder of a valid winning ticket matching "Call Letters" to form four complete words in the crossword puzzle play area shall win a regular prize award of five dollars; (c) Holder of a valid winning ticket matching "Call Letters" to form five complete words in the crossword puzzle play area shall win a regular prize award of ten dollars; (d) Holder of a valid winning ticket matching "Call Letters" to form six complete words in the crossword puzzle play area shall win a regular prize award of twenty-five dollars; (e) Holder of a valid winning ticket matching "Call Letters" to form seven complete words in the crossword puzzle play area shall win a regular prize award of fifty dollars; (f) Holder of a valid winning ticket matching "Call Letters" to form eight complete words in the crossword puzzle play area shall win a regular prize award of one hundred dollars; (g) Holder of a valid winning ticket matching "Call Letters" to form nine complete words in the crossword puzzle play area shall win a regular prize award of five thousand dollars; and (h) Holder of a valid winning ticket matching "Call Letters" to form ten complete words in the crossword puzzle play area shall win a regular prize award of thirty thousand dollars; (E) Number of prize awards. The number of prize awards in any sales cycle of game rule number six hundred thirty-five will depend upon the number of tickets sold during that cycle. Tickets shall be printed in accordance with this rule using random techniques in order that the following occur: (1) Combinations winning each prize award are randomly distributed throughout the prize pool; and (2) Mathematical reasoning indicates that the number of winning tickets per two hundred forty thousand tickets sold in the following prize categories should be as follows: (a) One ticket matching "Call Letters" to form ten complete words in the crossword puzzle play area win thirty thousand dollars once to win thirty thousand dollars; (b) Four tickets matching "Call Letters" to form nine complete words in the crossword puzzle play area win five thousand dollars once to win five thousand dollars; (c) Five hundred tickets matching "Call Letters" to form eight complete words in the crossword puzzle play area win one hundred dollars once to win one hundred dollars; (d) One thousand two hundred fifty tickets matching "Call Letters" to form seven complete words in the crossword puzzle play area win fifty dollars once to win fifty dollars; (e) Three thousand tickets matching "Call Letters" to form six complete words in the crossword puzzle play area win twenty-five dollars once to win twenty-five dollars; (f) Five thousand tickets matching "Call Letters" to form five complete words in the crossword puzzle play area win ten dollars once to win ten dollars; (g) Seventeen thousand tickets matching "Call Letters" to form four complete words in the crossword puzzle play area win five dollars once to win five dollars; and (h) Thirty-two thousand tickets matching "Call Letters" to form three complete words in the crossword puzzle play area win three dollars once to win three dollars. (F) Tickets sold. Chances of winning and the number of winning tickets are established at the start of the game number six hundred thirty-five and at the time a ticket is purchased. (G) Frequency of prize drawings. (1) Random imprinting of prize awards on all tickets issued in game rule number six hundred thirty-five shall be accomplished in a manner which complies with the commission's rules and procedures. (2) When a ticket issued in game rule number six hundred thirty-five is sold or deemed sold in accordance with this rule, the holder shall be deemed to have drawn the prize values and play symbol on that ticket which determine whether the holder is entitled to a regular prize award. A regular prize award shall be deemed announced on the date a ticket is purchased. (H) Special claim, entry, receipt and validation procedures. The director shall establish special claim, entry, receipt and validation procedures, including procedures for validation by sales agents of tickets winning prize awards which are to be paid by sales agents in accordance with commission rules. For purposes of game rule six hundred thirty-five, the close date for a ticket that is sold shall be the date the ticket is purchased. Prize awards shall be claimed within one hundred eighty days of the date that a ticket is purchased. (I) Validity of tickets. (1) A mechanical error in printing prize awards, symbols, words or other numbers on a ticket shall not automatically invalidate that ticket. To the extent feasible, the director shall establish procedures by which the holder of any ticket on which information is incorrectly printed due to mechanical malfunction may be advised of correct information for the ticket. If it is not technically feasible to recover the information from a mechanically misprinted ticket, the director may declare the ticket void and the holder shall be entitled to a return of the ticket price or a replacement ticket of comparable price. (2) 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 six hundred thirty-five void if it is stolen, unissued not sold or deemed not sold in accordance with commission rules; if it is illegible, mutilated, altered, counterfeit, 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. 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. (3) A ticket may not be canceled once the ticket is printed by the lottery terminal even if such ticket is printed in error. (J) Director's conduct of game rule number six hundred thirty-five. (1) The director shall conduct game rule number six hundred thirty-five in a manner consistent with the Lottery Act and the rules of the commission including, without limitation, this rule and the regulations of the director. As deemed necessary or advisable, the director shall adopt management regulations, orders or directives to implement and operate this lottery game. The director shall inform the public of the provisions of this rule and the procedures established pursuant hereto which affect the play of game rule number six hundred thirty-five. The director reserves the right to declare any game as unavailable for sale at any time to maintain game integrity and accountability. (2) Names and definitions of elements of game rule number six hundred thirty-five used in this rule are to be considered generic terms used solely for purposes of this rule. In actual operation, game rule number six hundred thirty-five and these elements may be given names or titles chosen by the commission. Ohio Admin. Code 3770:1-9-635
Effective: 03/09/2008
Promulgated Under: 111.15
Statutory Authority: 3770.03
Rule Amplifies: 3770.01, 3770.02, 3770.03, 3770.04, 3770.05, 3770.06, 3770.07, 3770.08