§ 871.8. Expected prize payout percentages.
(a) Determination of expected prize payout percentages is as follows:
Tickets Containing The Following, Approximate Percentage of In One Single Lettered Prize Prize Winnings Pool Allocated Game Section Category Payment to Prize Category** Five first set numbers and the Powerball number Grand Prize Grand Prize 58.3884% Five first set numbers Second Prize* $100,000 10.2386% Four first set numbers and the Powerball number Third Prize* $5,000 2.747% Four first set numbers Fourth Prize* $100 2.2524% Three first set numbers and the Powerball number Fifth Prize* $100 2.3624% Three first set numbers Sixth Prize* $7 6.7800% Two first set numbers and the Powerball number Seventh Prize* $7 2.3152% One first set number and the Powerball number Eighth Prize* $4 6.7800% The Powerball number Ninth Prize* $3 8.1360% * Indicates a set prize.
** Fifty percent of Powerball gross sales are allocated to the winnings pool for the payment of prizes.
(b) Prize money allocated to the grand prize category will be paid on a parimutuel basis, divided equally by the number of plays determined by the MUSL to be the winners of the grand prize.
(c) The number of plays determined by the MUSL to be winners of the second through ninth prize categories will be paid as set cash prizes, except as provided in paragraphs (1) and (2).
(1) If the total of the set prizes awarded in a Powerball drawing exceeds the set prize pool which is 20.8058% of gross sales, the amount needed to fund the set prizes shall be drawn from the following sources in the following order:
(i) The amount allocated to the set prize tiers and carried forward from previous draws, if any.
(ii) An amount from the MUSL set prize reserve account, if available, not to exceed $25,000,000 per Powerball drawing.
(2) If the sources set forth in paragraph (1) are depleted and there still are not sufficient funds to pay the set prizes for a particular Powerball drawing, the highest set prize shall become a parimutuel prize. If the amount of the highest set prize, when paid as a parimutuel prize, is less than or equal to the next highest set prize and there are still not sufficient funds to pay the remaining set prizes, the next highest set prize shall become a parimutuel prize. If necessary, and under the same test conditions set forth in the preceding sentence, each succeeding set prize level shall be converted to a parimutuel prize, in order, until all set prizes become parimutuel. If all set prizes are converted to parimu-tuel prizes, the money available from the funding sources listed in paragraph (1) shall be divided among the winning plays in proportion to their respective prize percentages.
(3) If all, or any portion of the set prize pool is not awarded in the current Powerball drawing, that portion of the set prize pool shall be carried forward to subsequent Powerball drawings.
Cross References This section cited in 61 Pa. Code § 871.2 (relating to game description and purpose); 61 Pa. Code § 871.10 (relating to funding of guaranteed prizes); 61 Pa. Code § 871.20 (relating to power play promotion); and 61 Pa. Code § 871.22 (relating to changes to Powerball).
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