Claim of a prize

A prize for a validated winning ticket must be claimed as follows: 1. A prize may not be awarded and the lottery is not liable for a ticket not submitted for validation or for an announcement or dissemination by the lottery or any other individual of an incorrect number, letter, or symbol drawn. 2. A ticket bought or used to claim a prize in violation of federal or state law, or bought in violation of the lottery law or rules, is void and may not be used to claim a prize. 3. A ticket for a prize must be received or presented at the lottery office within one hundred eighty days after the date of a draw for the game for which the ticket was issued. If the final day of the claim period is a Saturday, Sunday, or state holiday, the claim period is extended to the next business day. An unclaimed prize is forfeited and retained by the lottery. However, if the grand prize for the game of POWERBALL, MEGA MILLIONS, or LOTTO AMERICA is unclaimed, then MUSL shall administer the grand prize money. If the top prize or second prize for LUCKY FOR LIFE or MILLIONAIRE FOR LIFE is unclaimed, the lottery's liability for that prize expires and no settlement of funds may be scheduled. If a lower tier prize for LUCKY FOR LIFE or MILLIONAIRE FOR LIFE is unclaimed, the lottery's liability for that prize expires and is allocated back to the lottery in relation to the sale's percent for the specific drawing. 4. An individual who owns or redeems a winning ticket: a. Agrees to be bound by the lottery law, rules, procedure, policy, validation requirements, dispute resolution, and game group game rules related to the game for which the ticket was issued; and b. Agrees the state, lottery, the MUSL, game group, and their officers, employees, agents, representatives, and contractor are discharged from any liability upon payment of a prize on a ticket. 5. The owner of a winning ticket may win only one prize per play for the winning numbers, letters, or symbols drawn and is entitled only to the prize won by those numbers in the highest matching prize category. 6. A retailer may redeem a ticket only at the business address listed on the license. The retailer may pay a prize in cash or by business check, certified or cashier's check, money order, or combination of methods. 7. An individual may redeem a winning ticket for a prize only during the normal business hours of a retailer provided the lottery's central gaming system is operating and a ticket can be validated. If the retailer is normally open for business before or after the hours when the lottery's central gaming system operates, the retailer shall post the hours at the site when an individual may redeem a ticket. 8. To claim a prize for an apparent winning ticket of less than six hundred dollars, a player may: a. Present the ticket to a retailer, regardless of which retailer sold the ticket; or b. Complete the back side of the ticket by entering the individual's full name and address and signing the ticket, and present or mail the ticket to the lottery's office. 9. If a ticket has a prize value of less than six hundred dollars, is owned by one individual, and is presented to a retailer, the retailer may redeem the ticket and pay the prize to the individual who physically possesses an unsigned ticket or to the individual whose signature is shown on the ticket. If an individual desires to redeem a winning ticket that is signed, the retailer shall request evidential proof of identity from the player before the retailer may validate or pay the prize. If the player does not provide proof of identity, the retailer may not validate the ticket or pay the player a prize and shall return the ticket to the player. For an unsigned ticket or a signed ticket in which the ticket holder is the identified owner, the retailer shall validate the ticket and, for a winning ticket, pay the prize to the player. If the retailer is unable to validate a ticket, the retailer shall provide the ticket holder with a prize claim form and instruct the ticket holder how to file a claim with the lottery. 10. If an apparent winning ticket has a total prize value of all plays of six hundred dollars or more and one individual signed or claims ownership of the ticket, a retailer may not redeem the ticket and shall provide the ticket holder with a prize claim form and instruct the ticket holder how to file a claim with the lottery. The ticket holder shall complete and sign the form and back side of the ticket and present or mail the form and ticket to the lottery. For a validated winning ticket, the lottery shall present or mail a check to the player for the amount of the prize, less withholding of income tax required by federal or state law and any debt setoff according to section 10-16-01-03, unless the payment is delayed according to section 10-16-03-12. The lottery shall pay the prize to the individual whose name is on the ticket, notwithstanding the name on the claim form. For a nonwinning ticket, the lottery shall deny the claim, notify the claimant, and return the ticket. 11. If more than one individual signed or claims ownership of an apparent winning ticket, the retailer shall provide the claimant with a prize claim form and instruct the claimant how to file a claim with the lottery, as follows: a. Each individual who claims part ownership of the ticket shall complete and sign the prize claim form and designate the individual's percentage of ownership and, if subdivision d applies, the one authorized payee; b. At least one of the individuals who claim ownership shall sign the ticket and that signature must be on the prize claim form; c. The prize claim form and ticket must be presented or mailed to the lottery; d. For a validated ticket, if the amount of the prize allocated to each claimant is six hundred dollars or more, the lottery shall present or mail a separate prize check to each claimant. The lottery shall present or mail a check to each claimant for the amount of each player's prize, less withholding of income tax required by federal or state law and any debt setoff according to section 10-16-01-03, unless the payment is delayed according to section 10-16-03-12. If the prize allocated to each claimant is less than six hundred dollars, at the claimant's request, the lottery shall issue a single prize check to the individual designated and authorized on the prize claim form to receive payment of the prize on behalf of all the claimants or present or mail a check to each claimant for the amount of each player's prize; and e. Notwithstanding subdivision d, if the claimants desire to designate one individual in whose name the entire claim may be made and list the individuals to whom the winnings are taxable, the claimants may file, along with a prize claim form, internal revenue service form 5754 (statement by person(s) receiving gambling winnings) with the lottery. 12. The lottery shall pay a prize to a player within a reasonable time after the player's winning ticket is validated by the lottery. 13. Except as provided by rule, if two or more plays win the grand prize, the prize money must be divided equally among the players whose tickets won. Except as provided by rule, for a set prize, each player wins the set amount of a prize regardless of whether two or more players have winning tickets for the prize. 14. The lottery is not liable for a ticket not delivered to the correct address of the lottery or a delay in delivery of a ticket or damage to a ticket while being delivered to the lottery. 15. A player who redeems a winning ticket is solely responsible for any federal or state income tax liability related to the prize. 16. An individual's right to a prize is assignable and payment of a prize may be made to an individual pursuant to an appropriate judicial order. 17. A prize may not be payable to a trust until after the lottery conducts a debt setoff on the beneficiaries of the trust. 18. If a player redeems an original multi-draw ticket before the ticket's last draw and a retailer returns the original ticket, rather than an issued exchange ticket, to the player, the lottery may not pay another prize on the original ticket until after the exchange ticket expires and has not been redeemed. 19. A winning ticket with a total prize value of all plays of six hundred dollars or more may not be paid to an individual who is identified as being in the United States illegally.