Getting Started Registration Signing in Joining a Team	Managing Your Accounts General Personal Profile	Group Play General Your Entries Messages and Team Forums Your Team(s) Forums	Captain's Role Starting a team Managing Your Team

Getting Started

Registration

How much does it cost to register for Group Play?

• Nothing! Registration for Group Play is free.
  

• Your choice of username
  
  
• Your choice of password
  
  
• Your full name (So your friends can find you)
  
  
• Your email address (So you and your team can email each other)
  
  
• Your home zip code (So potential members or competitors know your team is local)
  
  
• Your date of birth (So we can verify your eligibility to play)

Are there any age limits for registering?

• You must be at least 18 years old to register with the Group Play site.

Are there any other requirements before I can register?

• All users must agree to the site's Terms of Use in order to register.

What additional information is collected in my account profile?

• The following information is optional. You can enter this info if you like, but it does not need to be provided in order for you to use the Group Play Site:
  
  
  • Your choice of an image to associate with your account
    
    
  • A description of what you are playing for (what will I buy if I win?)
    
    
  • Your personal slogan
    
    
  • Your home address and telephone number
    
    
  • Your cell phone number
    
    
  • Your employer's address and telephone number
    
    
  • Your profession / title

Why should I provide this additional information?

• Some of it is just for fun, like your image or your personal slogan. Some of the information helps other team members know more about you.
  
  
• Some of the additional information may be used to contact you about promotions from Group Play or the New York Lottery. You can opt-out of these mailings by clicking the check box at the bottom of the Contact Information section.

Can I choose any username?

• Yes, as long as it is not already in use by another player. The only requirements are: it must contain at least one letter; it can have a maximum of 12 alphanumeric characters; it cannot contain offensive words.

How do I choose a password?

• Create a password that you will easily remember. The only requirements are: it must contain at least one number; it must be a minimum of 5 characters long; the characters must be alphanumeric, with the exception of apostrophes; it cannot contain offensive words.

Signing in

How do I sign in to the Group Play site?

• On the login form, enter either your username or the email address that you used to register, along with your password. Click the "Login" button. New users must complete registration to set up a username and password before they can sign in.

How do I sign out of the Group Play site?

• Click the "Logout" button in the Welcome Box (it's in the upper left-hand corner).

Joining a Team

How do I join a team?

• There are two ways to play on a team-by joining an existing team or by starting your own. In order to join an existing team, you must either be invited by the captain of that team, or you must send the captain a request to join the team (and be accepted by the captain).
  
  
  • Get invited by a team captain.
    
    
    • If the captain of an existing team invites you to join, you will receive an invitation email and a message in your Group Play Inbox (if the email the captain provides is the one with which you registered for your Group Play account).New users must complete registration to set up an account before they can join the team.
      
      
  • Send a request to a team captain.
    
    
    • First you must find a team that you want to join. Search for a team by clicking one of the following places:
      
      
      • If you're not a member of any teams yet, click the 'Find a Team' button in the Welcome Box in the upper left-hand corner or the 'Join Team' button in the middle of the Home page. Use the 'Search for a New Team' form to find an existing team to join. After finding a team, click the 'Request to Join Team' button. The captain must accept your request to join before you become a member of the respective team.
        
        
      • If you are a member of at least one team, you have two options:
        
        
        • Click the "Team Info" tab in the left-hand navigation. This takes you to the Team Info page. In the 'Other Teams in Your Area' section in the lower half of the page, you will see teams that are located in your area (by Zip code). To join one of these teams, click the 'Join Team' button (it's on the bottom right-hand side of that team's photo). You can only request to join teams that are open to new members.
          
          
        • Click the 'Team Info' tab in the left-hand navigation. This takes you to the Team Info page. In the 'Other Teams in Your Area' section in the lower half of the page, click the 'Search Teams' button. Use the 'Search for a New Team' form to find an existing team to join. After finding a team, click the 'Request to Join Team' button. The captain must accept your request to join before you become a member of that team.

• To start your own team, you must be willing to be captain of that team and manage it regularly.
  
  • Create your own team.
    
    
    • If you're not a member of any teams yet, click the 'Create a Team' button (in the Welcome Box in the upper left-hand corner) OR click the 'Create Team' button in the middle of the Home page. Use the 'Create a Team' form to set up a new team.
      
      
    • If you are a member of at least one team, you have two options:
      
      
      • Click the 'Team Info' tab in the left-hand navigation. This takes you to the Team Info page. In the 'Other Teams in Your Area' section in the lower half of the page, click the 'Create a Team' button. Use the 'Create a Team' form to set up a new team.
        
        
      • Click the 'My Profile' tab in the left-hand navigation. This takes you to the My Profile page. Click the 'Create a Team' button on the right-hand side of your photo. Use the 'Create a Team' form to set up a new team.

How do I search for a team?

• Search for a team by clicking one of the following places:
  
  
  • If you're not a member of any teams yet, click the 'Find a Team' button in the Welcome Box in the upper left-hand corner, OR click the 'Join Team' button in the middle of the Home page. Use the 'Search for a New Team' form to find a team.
    
    
  • If you are a member of at least one team, you have two options:
    
    
    • Click the 'Team Info' tab in the left-hand navigation. This takes you to the Team Info page. In the 'Other Teams in Your Area' section (in the lower half of the page), you will see teams that are located in your area (by Zip code). To search for teams in other areas, change the Zip code and click the 'Submit' button.
      
      
    • Click the 'Team Info' tab in the left-hand navigation. This takes you to the Team Info page. In the 'Other Teams in Your Area' section (in the lower half of the page), click the 'Search Teams' button. Use the 'Search for a New Team' form to find a team.

• You can search for a team by entering any or all of the following:
  
  
  • Team name
    
    
  • A captain's real first or last name
    
    
  • A captain's username
    
    
  • The city in which the team is located
    
    
  • The Zip code in which the team is located
    
    
  • The state in which the team is located

Can I join any team?

• You can send a request to join any team that has spots open. However, the team's captain has to accept your request to join before you become a member.

Can I belong to more than one team?

• Yes. Each user may belong to up to 5 teams on Group Play.

Why wasn't I added to a team after I sent a request to join to the captain?

• To be added to a team, the captain must accept your request to join. Team captains can accept or reject these requests.

How can I start my own team?

• See instructions for creating a team under 'How do I belong to a Team?' above. Remember, if you start a team, you will be the captain and are responsible for managing the team.

Managing your account

General

How do I change my password?

• Click the 'Settings' button in the Welcome Box (in the upper left-hand corner). You will be taken to the Settings page. From there, you can change your profile and account settings, including your password. Click the 'Submit' button at the bottom of the page for your changes to take effect.

Can I change my username?

• Click the 'Settings' button in the Welcome Box (in the upper left-hand corner). You will be taken to the Settings page. From there, you can change your profile and account settings, including your username. Click the 'Submit' button at the bottom of the page for your changes to take effect.

What other account settings can I change from the Settings page?

• In addition to changing your password and username, you can also update the following account information:
  
  
  • Your first and last name
    
    
  • Your Zip code
    
    
  • Your email address

• Though it is not required, you can provide further contact information from the Settings page, such as your home address and your employer's address. This will be used to contact you about promotions from Group Play or the New York Lottery. You may opt-out of these mailings by clicking the check box at the bottom of the Contact Information section. From the Settings page, you can also turn on or turn off the Reveal Numbers feature and email notifications.

How do I close my account?

• Please send this request customer service from the Contact Us page.

Personal Profile

What types of information can other players see about me?

• Only your team members can see any information about you on Group Play. The following information will be visible to your team members:
  
  
  • Your photo
    
    
  • Your username
    
    
  • Your first and last name (only by your team captain(s))
    
    
  • A description of what you are playing for (what will I buy if I win?)
    
    
  • Your personal slogan
    
    
  • A star by your photo if you are the captain
    
    
  • Indication that you have or have not submitted entries for the next drawing
    
    
  • A history of your previously submitted entries

Can I change the profile information other players see about me?

• Yes. Click the 'Settings' button in the Welcome Box (in the upper left-hand corner). You will be taken to the Settings page, from which you can change your profile information.

What is a personal slogan?

• A personal slogan is like a bumper sticker on your car. It can be something you might believe, say often, like the sound of, or think is funny - it's really up to you.

What is the 'Playing For' description?

• The 'Playing For' description tells your team members what you might buy with the jackpot if you win the Lottery.

How can I change my photo?

• Click the 'Settings' button in the Welcome Box (in the upper left-hand corner). You will be taken to the Settings page. From there, you can change your profile and account settings, including your profile photo.

Group Play

General

What are the rules of Group Play?

• Currently, the Group Play site is used only for New York Lottery's Mega Millions game. For more information about Mega Millions, visit the NY Lottery's website at http://www.nylottery.org.

Why was something I wrote on the site flagged?

• Group Play users can flag anything that is considered offensive or inappropriate. This lets the Group Play community keep the site a friendly and positive experience.

What is considered inappropriate content?

• In general, appropriate content is the kind of material that would be acceptable in a family newspaper or on a broadcast TV program. If it could not be published in a family newspaper or shown on a family TV show, it is inappropriate for the Group Play website.
  
  Some content may be acceptable to certain people, but offensive to other people. That is why we ask the community to help us keep the site a positive, friendly experience. We never pull any content off the site unless several people have flagged it and/or a site administrator has reviewed the content and decided it is inappropriate.
  
  The Terms of Service states the following:
  
  
  • Group Play encourages users to post user and team profile pictures and communicate within the Site as long as does not offend, harm or threaten users or make users uncomfortable. Therefore, you may not post or share content that:
    
    
    • is obscene, pornographic or sexually explicit;
      
      
    • depicts graphic or gratuitous violence;
      
      
    • makes threats of any kind or that intimidates, harasses, or bullies anyone;
      
      
    • is derogatory, demeaning, malicious, defamatory, abusive, offensive or hateful.

Your Entries

How do I pick my numbers on the site?

• There are four different ways you can pick numbers on the Group Play site:
  
  
  • Classic Pick allows you to choose number in a way very similar to the way it's done offline.
    
    
  • Number Psychic randomly chooses numbers for you. It is similar to the Quick Pick option.
    
    
  • Hot/Cold Picks allows you to choose numbers based on the numbers most hit during Mega Millions drawings and numbers most played by Group Play users.
    
    
  • My Favorites allows you choose numbers you have previously saved to this section (e.g. a set of numbers that you play all the time or on special occasions).
    
    
• To use one of these options, click the 'Pick Numbers' tab in the left-hand navigation. This takes you to the Pick Numbers page. The default view is Classic Pick
  To switch to one of the other views, click the 'My Favorites', 'Number Psychic', or 'Hot/Cold Picks' button in the middle of the screen.
  Follow the instructions below based on which option you choose for picking numbers:
  
  
  • Classic Pick: Choose your numbers by clicking on any five numbered balls from the 'Pick Numbers' section (on the upper left-hand side of the Pick Numbers page) and any one ball from the 'Mega Balls Numbers' section (on the upper right-hand side of the Pick Numbers page). As you click the numbered balls, you will see those numbers appear below in the 'Your Picks' section. You can select your six numbers in any order. If you make a mistake, simply click the numbered button a second time to remove it from your picks or click the 'Clear Picks' button. When you are satisfied with your selection and have all six numbers chosen, click the 'Save Entry' button. Your entry is now saved in the 'Saved Entries' section toward the bottom of the page. To submit your entry to the captain so that it can be purchased, click the check box to the left of the entry you want to send. You may select more than one entry at a time. Click the 'Send to Captain' button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.
    
    
  • My Favorites: To play one of your favorite entries, locate it in the upper section of the Pick Numbers page and click the 'Pick' button to the left of that entry. You will see those numbers appear below in the 'Your Picks' section. If you make a mistake, simply click the 'Clear Picks' button. When you are satisfied with your selection, click the 'Save Entry' button. Your entry is now saved in the 'Saved Entries' section toward the bottom of the page. To submit your entry to the captain so that it can be purchased, click the check box to the left of the entry you want to send. You may select more than one entry at a time. Click the 'Send to Captain' button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.
    
    
  • Number Psychic: To have the numbers automatically selected for you, click the 'Begin Now' button in the upper section of the Pick Numbers page. As they are chosen, you will see the numbers appear below in the 'Your Picks' section. If you are not happy with the numbers, click the 'Another Set' button in upper section of the page. When you are satisfied with your selection, click the 'Save Entry' button. Your entry is now saved in the 'Saved Entries' section toward the bottom of the page. To submit your entry to the captain so that it can be purchased, click the check box to the left of the entry you want to send. You may select more than one entry at a time. Click the 'Send to Captain' button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.
    
    
  • Hot/Cold Picks: The default view shows the numbers in order from most hit to least hit during Mega Millions drawings in the last year. By clicking the button to the left of 'Community Picks' at the top of the Pick Numbers page, the numbers are shown in order from most played to least played in entries submitted in Group Play. Choose your numbers by clicking on any five numbered balls from the 'Pick Numbers' section (at the top of the Pick Numbers page) and any one ball from the 'Mega Balls Numbers'section (located below the 'Pick Numbers' section). As you click the numbered balls, you will see those numbers appear below in the 'Your Picks' section. You can select your six numbers in any order. If you make a mistake, simply click the numbered button a second time to remove it from your picks or click the 'Clear Picks' button. When you are satisfied with your selection and have all six numbers chosen, click the 'Save Entry' button. Your entry is now saved in the 'Saved Entries' section toward the bottom of the page. To submit your entry to the captain so that it can be purchased, click the check box to the left of the entry you want to send. You may select more than one entry at a time. Click the 'Send to Captain' button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.

Can I change my entries after I've posted them?

• Once you save your entries and they appear in the 'Saved Entries' section toward the bottom of the Pick Numbers page, you cannot edit the numbers.
  However, if a saved entry has not yet been sent to the captain, you can delete it. To do so, click the check box to the left of the entry you want to delete. You may select more than one entry at a time. Click the 'Delete Entries' button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page. (You can delete entries that have already been sent to the captain if the drawing date has passed in order to remove them from your 'Saved Entries' list.)
  You can also change the drawing date for a saved entry that has not been sent to the captain. To do so, click the 'Change Date' button to the right of the desired entry.

How do I view my entries on the site?

• To view your entries from the Pick Numbers page, click the 'Pick Numbers' tab in the left-hand navigation, Your entries are located in the 'Saved Entries' section toward the bottom of the page. Any changes made to your entries here will be reflected on the My Profile page.
  To view your entries from the My Profile page, click the 'My Profile' tab in the left-hand navigation,

How do I view my team's entries on the site?

• Click the 'Team Info' tab in the left-hand navigation, which takes you to the Team Info page. Click the 'Check Team Entries' button on the right-hand side of the team photo to access the list of submitted entries.

How do I view other member's entries on the site?

• Click the 'Team Info' tab in the left-hand navigation. In the 'Team Members' section in the middle of the page, locate the team member whose entries you want to see. Click the 'Check Entries' button on the right-hand side of the member's photo to access the list of submitted entries.

How do I print my entries?

• Click the 'My Profile' tab in the left-hand navigation. Then click the 'Print My Entries' button right-hand corner of the page.

How do I send my entries to my team captain?

• Click the 'Pick Numbers' tab in the left-hand navigation. Your saved entries are in the 'Saved Entries' section toward the bottom of the page. To submit an entry to the captain so that it can be purchased, click the check box to the left of the entry you want to send. You may select more than one entry at a time. Click the 'Send to Captain' button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.
  For more information on picking numbers, see the instructions under 'How do I pick my numbers on the site?' above.

Why does it say 'Playing' or 'Not Yet Playing' next to my name on the Team Info page?

• If you have submitted an entry to the captain for the next drawing, the members of that team will see 'Playing' in the 'Team Members' section in the middle of the Team Info page. If you have not submitted any entries to the captain for the next drawing, it will say 'Not Yet Playing' instead.

Can I save my entries for future use?

• Yes, you can save an entry to your favorites. To do so, click the 'Pick Numbers' tab in the left-hand navigation. Either create a new entry and save it (see the instructions under 'How do I pick my numbers on the site?' above) or use an entry you have previously saved in the 'Saved Entries' section toward the bottom of the page. Click the check box to the left of the entry you want to save to your favorites. You may select more than one entry at a time. Click the 'Add to My Faves' button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page. A pop-up window will appear. Within this window, you can name your entry by writing something to the right of the 'Label' box. When you are finished, click the 'Accept' button.

Can the Group Play site suggest entry number picks for me?

• Yes, from the Pick Numbers page, you can use the Number Psychic to generate numbers, similar to the Quick Pick feature (see the instructions under 'How do I pick my numbers on the site?' above).

Can I purchase tickets through the Group Play site?

• Not at this time.

How do I get the results of a drawing?

• The winning numbers from the latest drawing are located at the top of the Home page. If you have the Reveal Numbers option turned on (see the instructions under 'What other account settings can I change from the Settings page?' above), then you must click the 'Reveal Numbers' button in the upper right-hand corner of the page to see the numbers. Additionally, you can access the results from the Results page. To do so, click the 'Results' tab in the left-hand navigation. The winning numbers from the last drawing are displayed on the top of the page. You can also see the winning numbers for past drawings by clicking on the drop-down date box located directly above the winning numbers.

How do I know if I am a winner?

• To determine if there is a match between the entries that you or your team leader has registered and the results of a lottery drawing, a dedicated Results Information Server is used. The sole function of the Results Information Server is to obtain the winning numbers through a secure third party data feed. When a member of the team wants to see if he is a winner, he logs on to the Group Play server and then his personal computer can request and receive the entire team's entries. The team member's personal computer also accesses the separate Results Information server to retrieve drawing results. The team member's personal computer then locally compares these results to the team entries retrieved from the separate Group Play server. Walker Digital Lottery, LLC is not an authorized lottery ticket vendor. Walker Digital Lottery, LLC cannot and does not inform or verify for any users that they are entitled to share in any amounts as the result of a given set of lottery numbers. Please see Terms of Use

What are Team Settings?

• Team settings are determined by your captain and include:
  
  
  • Team name
    
    
  • Team photo
    
    
  • Team slogan
    
    
  • Team city
    
    
  • Team Zip code
    
    
  • Team state
    
    
  • Team status: This shows whether your team is accepting new members ('Open') or is not accepting new members ('Closed').
    
    
  • Maximum entries per drawing: This tells you the number of entries each team member may submit per drawing. The captain can choose between 5, 10, 15, 20, and no limit.
    
    
  • Entry deadline: The day and time by which team members need to submit their entries to the captain for the drawings. It may be different for each drawing day (Tuesday and Friday).
    
    
  • Re-buy threshold: The minimum balance that accumulated team winnings must reach before the captain will distribute out to the team. If the accumulated total is less than that amount, the balance will roll over into the team pool used to purchase entries in the next drawing. The captain can choose between nothing, $5, $10, $15, and $20.
    
    
  • Jackpot payment option: The way the jackpot would be paid out if won by your team. The captain can choose between Lump Sum Cash Value and 26 Annual Payments.
    
    
  • Jackpot payout distribution: The way in which the jackpot would be split up among the members if won by your team. The captain can choose Equal Payout or Other. Equal Payout means that each team member would get an equal share of the winnings. The Other option allows the captain to describe the desired payout distribution.

• To view your team settings, click the 'Team Info' tab in the left-hand navigation. Your settings are described in the upper right-hand corner of the page.

Why does my status still say 'unpaid' even though I gave my money to the captain?

• Your captain has to change the status of your submitted entries from 'Unpaid' to 'Paid'. If you have paid your captain but the corresponding entry's status is still 'Unpaid', it means the captain has not updated the status yet. Please remind your captain to change your status to show that you have paid for your entries.

How can I find out the amount of the jackpot?

• The estimated jackpot amount is shown on the Home page toward the middle. If you are not on the Home page and would like to get to it, click the 'Home' tab in the left-hand navigation.

When is the next drawing?

• The date of the next drawing is shown on Home page toward the middle. If you are not on the Home page and would like to get to it, click the 'Home' tab in the left-hand navigation.

Messages and Team Forums

What kind of messages can I send through the site?

• You can send a message to any of your team members about any subject matter (as long as it is appropriate).

How do I send a message to all or some members of my team?

• You can send a message by clicking the 'Messages' tab in the left-hand navigation or the 'Inbox' link in the Welcome Box in the upper left-hand corner. This will bring you to the Inbox within the Messages page. Click the 'New Message' button at the top of the page. This opens a blank message form. Click the check box to the left of the members' names that you want to message in the 'To' field. You may enter a subject in the 'Subject' field. Type your message in the 'Message' field. When you are ready to send your message, click the 'Send' button at the bottom of the form. You can also send a message from the Team Info page. To do so, click the 'Team Info' tab in the left-hand navigation. From the Team Info page, click the 'Send Team Message' button on the right hand side of the team photo. To remove a member from the message, click the check box to the left of the member's name in the 'To' field.

How do I send a message to a single member of my team?

• You can send a message by clicking the 'Messages' tab in the left-hand navigation or the 'Inbox' link in the Welcome Box in the upper left-hand corner. This will bring you to the Inbox within the Messages page. Click the 'New Message' button at the top of the page. This opens a blank message form.
  Click the check box to the left of the member's name that you want to message in the 'To' field. You may enter a subject in the 'Subject' field. Type your message in the 'Message' field. When you are ready to send your message, click the 'Send' button at the bottom of the form.
  You can also send a message from the Team Info page. To do so, click the 'Team Info' tab in the left-hand navigation. From the Team Info page, click the 'Send Message' button to the right of a member's photo.

Can I send a private message to Group Play players who are not on my team?

• No, you can only send messages to members of your team(s).

Is there any way to communicate publicly with Group Play members on the site who are not on my team?

• Yes, use the Forums. See Forums, below.

What do other members of my team see when I send them a message?

• When you send a message to your team members, each recipient will receive your message in his or her Inbox on the Messages page. The usernames of all recipients and the content of the message will be shown.

What kind of messages will I receive through the site?

• You may receive messages from your team members and from Group Play's Customer Service. Additionally, you may receive automated messages from Group Play, such as entry deadline notifications and information about changes in your team's settings.

How do I read my messages?

• You can read a message by clicking the 'Messages' tab in the left-hand navigation or the 'Inbox' link in the Welcome Box in the upper left-hand corner. This will bring you to the Inbox within the Messages page. To open a message, click the link in the 'Subject' column on the right-hand side of the page. This will populate the reading pane in the lower half of the page.

How do I delete a message?

• You can delete a message by clicking the 'Messages' tab in the left-hand navigation or the 'Inbox' link in the Welcome Box in the upper left-hand corner. This will bring you to the Inbox within the Messages page. Click the check box to the left of the desired message. You may select more than one message at a time. Click the 'Delete' button at the top of the page.

Your team(s)

What information can people see about my team?

• Group Play members that are not on your team can see the following information about your team:
  
  
  • Your team name
    
    
  • Your team photo
    
    
  • Your team slogan
    
    
  • Your team city
    
    
  • Your team state
    
    
  • The number of members on your team
    
    
  • Your team's status: 'Open' or 'Closed'

• Members that are on your team can also see the following information about your team:
  
  
  • When your team was created
    
    
  • The maximum entries allowed per member per drawing
    
    
  • Your team entry deadline for each drawing day
    
    
  • Your team re-buy threshold
    
    
  • Your team jackpot payment option
    
    
  • Your team jackpot payout distribution

Can players change information about their team?

• Only team captains can change team information displays and settings.

Can I leave a team but still stay registered with Group Play?

• Yes. If you quit a team, you are still a member on the Group Play site. If after quitting your team you are not on any teams, you will have to either join an existing team or create a new one. For further instructions, refer to the 'How do I join a team?' section above.

Can I choose how I want to be contacted by team members?

• Whenever a team member sends you a message, you will receive it in your Group Play Inbox. You also have the option of getting notifications sent to your personal email whenever someone sends you a message through Group Play. To turn the notification on or off, click the 'Settings' button within the Welcome Box in the upper left-hand corner. You will be taken to the Settings page, from which you can click the check box to the left of the 'All Other Messages' option under Email Notifications.

Can I choose how I want to get the results of a drawing?

• The results will always be displayed on the Results page. You have the option of getting a notification sent to your personal email whenever a drawing takes place and the Group Play site is updated with the results. To turn the notification on or off, click the 'Settings' button within the Welcome Box in the upper left-hand corner. You will be taken to the Settings page, from which you can click the check box to the left of the 'Drawing Results' option under Email Notifications.

Why was I removed from a team?

• Team membership is at the discretion of the captain. If you are unsure why you were removed from a team, please contact the team's captain for an explanation.

Forums

What are forums?

• Forums are message boards designed to support community discussion. Members create the forums and choose topics within each forum.

What types of forums are there?

• Since forums are created by Group Play members, the types of forums depend on the topics of interest to members.

Captain's Role

Starting a Team

How do I start a team?

• To start your own team, you must be willing to be captain of that team and manage it regularly.
  
  
  • Create your own team.
    
    
    • If you're not a member of any teams yet, click the 'Create a Team' button in the Welcome Box in the upper left-hand corner or the 'Create Team' button in the middle of the Home page. Use the 'Create a Team' form to set up a new team.
      
      
    • If you are a member of at least one team, you have two options:
      
      
      • Click the 'Team Info' tab in the left-hand navigation, which takes you to the Team Info page. In the 'Other Teams in Your Area' section in the lower half of the page, click the 'Create a Team' button. Use the 'Create a Team' form to set up a new team.
        
        
      • Click the 'My Profile' tab in the left-hand navigation, which takes you to the My Profile page. Click the 'Create a Team' button on the right-hand side of your photo. Use the 'Create a Team' form to set up a new team.

How do I invite other players into my team?

• Click the 'Manage Team' tab in the left-hand navigation. Click the 'Invite Members' button in the bottom right-hand corner of the Manage Team page.

Can anyone join my team?

• No, team membership is at the discretion of the captain. You can decide who to invite to join your team. If your team's status is 'Open', you may receive requests from Group Play users to join your team. You can accept or reject their requests.

Can I close my team to new members?

• Yes, you can make your team's status 'Closed' This will not allow anyone to request to join your team. To do so, click the 'Manage Team' tab in the left-hand navigation. Click the 'Change Team Settings' button (located in the upper right-hand corner of the Manage Team page). This will bring you to the Edit Team page. From there, you can change your team's information, including the status.

How do I accept or reject a request to join?

• Click the 'Manage Team' tab in the left-hand navigation. Click the 'New Member Requests' button in the bottom left-hand corner of the Manage Team page. You will see all the names of the Group Play users who have requested to join your team. Click the check box to the left of a user's name. Click the 'Accept' button to accept the user to your team. Click the 'Reject' button to reject the user from your team.

Managing Your Team

What can other players see about my team?

• Group Play members that are not on your team can see the following information about your team:
  
  
  • Your team name
    
    
  • Your team photo
    
    
  • Your team slogan
    
    
  • Your team city
    
    
  • Your team state
    
    
  • The number of members on your team
    
    
  • Your team's status: 'Open' or 'Closed'

• Members that are on your team can also see the following information about your team:
  
  
  • When your team was created
    
    
  • The maximum entries allowed per member per drawing
    
    
  • Your team entry deadline for each drawing day
    
    
  • Your team re-buy threshold
    
    
  • Your team jackpot payment option
    
    
  • Your team jackpot payout distribution

Can I remove a player from my team?

• Yes. To do so, click the 'Manage Team' tab in the left-hand navigation. Click the 'Edit Team' button in the bottom middle of the Manage Team page. You will see the names of all of your team members. Click the check box to the left of the member whom you want to remove from your team. Click the 'Remove Selected Team Members' button.

Can I give the job of being captain to another player?

• Yes, please send this request customer service from the Contact Us page.

Why did I get a Captain Inactivity Warning message from Customer Service?

• As captain, you must manage your team on a regular basis. Typical management activity includes checking submitted entries' status to 'Paid' when your team members give you money, printing entries to take to the retailer, purchasing entries for your team members, etc. This message is a reminder that you have not been properly managing your Group Play team. If after three inactivity reminders you are still not managing your team, your team members will be notified and asked to take over as captain. The inactivity process outlined below:
  
  
  • You will receive the first reminder after 60 days of inactivity.
    
    
  • You will receive the second reminder after an additional 14 days (74 days total) of inactivity.
    
    
  • You will receive the final reminder after an additional 14 days (88 days total) of inactivity.
    
    
  • If you remain inactive for 7 days after the final reminder, Customer Service will send a message to the other team members requesting a volunteer to become the new captain of your team.

How do I set a deadline for team members' entries?

• Click on the 'Manage Team' option in the main navigation, then from the 'Manage Team' page click on the 'Change Team Settings' button in the top right (just under the page header) and you will be taken to the 'Edit Team' page from which you can change your team setting, including the entry deadline.

What team settings can I change?

• As captain, you are the only one who can change team settings, which include the following:
  
  
  • Team name
    
    
  • Team photo
    
    
  • Team slogan
    
    
  • Team city
    
    
  • Team Zip code
    
    
  • Team state
    
    
  • Team status: Information that your team is accepting new members ('Open') or is not accepting new members ('Closed').
    
    
  • Maximum entries per drawing: The number of entries each team member may submit per drawing. The captain can choose between 5, 10, 15, 20, and no limit.
    
    
  • Entry deadline: The day and time by which team members need to submit their entries to the captain for the drawings. It may be different for each drawing day (Tuesday and Friday).
    
    
  • Re-buy threshold: The minimum balance that accumulated team winnings must reach before the captain will distribute out to the team. If the accumulated total is less than that amount, the balance will roll over into the team pool used to purchase entries in the next drawing. The captain can choose between nothing, $5. $10, $15, and $20.
    
    
  • Jackpot payment option: The way the jackpot would be paid out if won by your team. The captain can choose between Lump Sum Cash Value and 26 Annual Payments.
    
    
  • Jackpot payout distribution: The way in which the jackpot would be split up among the members if won by your team. The captain can choose Equal Payout or Other. Equal Payout means that each team member would get an equal share of the winnings. The Other option allows the captain to describe the desired payout distribution.

• To view your team settings, click the 'Team Info' tab in the left-hand navigation. Your settings are described in the upper right-hand corner of the page.

How do I change my team settings?

• Click the 'Manage Team' tab in the left-hand navigation. Click the 'Change Team Settings' button in the upper right-hand corner of the Manage Team page. This will bring you to the Edit Team page, from which you can change your team's information.