Section 553-40-II-6.0 - Prize Payment6.1Grand Prize6.1.1 The prize money allocated from the current Mega Millions prize pool for the Grand Prize, plus any previous portions of prize money allocated to the Grand Prize category in which no matching MM Plays or JJ Plays were sold will be divided equally among all Grand Prize winning MM Plays and JJ Plays in all Participating Lotteries. The annuity Grand Prize amount will be paid in thirty (30) graduated annual installments. Grand Prizes won shall be funded by the Selling Lotteries in accordance with the formula set by the Mega Millions lotteries. The Mega Millions lotteries may set a minimum guaranteed annuity Grand Prize amount that shall be advertised by the selling lotteries as the starting guaranteed annuity Grand Prize amount.6.1.2Rollover.If, in any Mega Millions drawing there are no MM Plays or JJ Plays that qualify for the Grand Prize category, the portion of the prize fund allocated to such Grand Prize category shall remain in the Grand Prize category and be added to the amount allocated for the Grand Prize category in the next consecutive Mega Millions drawing.6.1.3 Unless there is a different Party Lottery rule, Grand Prizes shall be paid, at the election of the player made no later than sixty (60) days after the player becomes entitled to the prize, with either a per winner annuity or cash payment. If the payment election is not made by the player within sixty (60) days after the player becomes entitled to the prize, then the prize shall be paid as an annuity prize. The election to take the cash value option may be made within sixty (60) days after the player becomes entitled to the prize. An election made after the winner becomes entitled to the prize is final and cannot be revoked, withdrawn or otherwise changed.6.1.4 In the event of a prize winner who selects the cash value option, the prize winner's share shall be paid in a single payment upon completion of internal validation procedures. The cash value option shall be determined by the Mega Millions Lotteries.6.1.5 Graduated annual payment option Grand Prize prizes shall be paid in thirty (30) graduated annual installments upon completion of internal validation procedures. The initial payment shall be paid upon completion of internal validation procedures. The subsequent twenty-nine (29) payments shall be paid graduated annually to coincide with the month of the Federal auction date on which the bonds were purchased to fund the annuity, with graduated annual installments defined in the Mega Millions Lotteries' Finance and Operations Procedures. Payments shall escalate by a factor of five percent (5%) annually, and annual payments shall be rounded down to the nearest even one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) increment. All such payments shall be made within seven (7) days of the anniversary of the annual auction date.6.1.6 If individual shares of the Grand Prize Pool held to fund an annuity is less than two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000.00), the Product Group, in its sole discretion, may elect to pay the winners their share of the cash held in the Grand Prize pool.6.1.7 Funds for the initial payment of an annuitized prize or the cash value option prize shall be made available by MUSL for payment by the Party Lottery on a schedule approved by the Product Group. If necessary, when the due date for the payment of a prize occurs before the receipt of funds in the prize pool trust sufficient to pay the prize, the transfer of funds for the payment of the full cash value option amount may be delayed pending receipt of funds from the Party Lotteries or other lotteries participating in the Mega Millions Game. A Party Lottery may elect to make the initial payment from its own funds after validation, with notice to MUSL.6.1.8 In the event of the death of a lottery winner sold by a Party Lottery during the annuity payment period, unless prohibited by jurisdictional law, MUSL Finance & Audit Committee, in its sole discretion excepting a discretionary review by the Product Group, upon the petition of the estate of the lottery winner (the "Estate") to the lottery of the jurisdiction in which the deceased lottery winner purchased the winning Play, and subject to federal, state, district or territorial applicable laws, may accelerate the payment of all of the remaining lottery proceeds to the Estate. If such a determination is made, then securities and/or cash held to fund the deceased lottery winner's annuitized prize may be distributed to the Estate. The identification of the securities to fund the annuitized prize shall be at the sole discretion of the Finance & Audit Committee or the Product Group.6.1.9 If a Party Lottery purchases or holds the prize payment annuity for a prize won in that jurisdiction, that Party Lottery's game rules, and any prize payment agreement with the prize winner, shall indicate that the prize winner has no recourse on the MUSL or any other Party Lottery for payment of that prize.6.2Prize Payments. All prizes shall be paid through the Selling Lottery that sold the winning Plays, and at the discretion of the Selling Lottery may be paid by cash, checks, warrants or electronic transfers. A Party Lottery may begin paying low-tier prizes after receiving authorization to pay from MUSL central office.
6.3Prizes Rounded.Annuitized payments of the Grand Prize or a share of the Grand Prize may be rounded to facilitate the purchase of an appropriate funding mechanism. Breakage on an annuitized Grand Prize win shall be added to the first payment to the winner or winners. Prizes other than the Grand Prize that, under these rules, may become single-payment, pari-mutuel prizes, may be rounded down so that prizes can be paid in multiples of whole dollars. Breakage resulting from rounding these prizes shall be carried forward to the prize pool for the next drawing.
6.6Limited to Highest Prize Won.The holder of a winning MM Play may win only one (1) prize per Play in connection with the winning numbers drawn, and shall be entitled only to the prize won by those numbers in the highest matching prize category. A JJ Play is not eligible to win non-Grand Prizes/non-Jackpot prizes. All liability for a Mega Millions prize are discharged upon payment of a prize claim.6.7Prize Claim Period.Prize claims shall be submitted within the period set by the Party Lottery selling the Play, which in Maine is one (1) year from the prize eligibility date. The prize eligibility date is the date of the winning draw.18- 553 C.M.R. ch. 40, § II-6.0