18C-131. Sales and sale price of tickets and shares; sales to minors prohibited.

(a) The Commission may sell tickets and shares directly to the public, contract with lottery game retailers to sell tickets and shares, or distribute tickets or shares through any other method authorized by the Commission.

(b) No ticket or share in a lottery game shall be sold or resold for more than the retail sales price established by the Commission.

(c) The minimum retail price of each ticket or share in any lottery game shall be fifty cents (50 ). The minimum retail price shall not apply to any discounts or promotions authorized by the Commission for a particular lottery game.

(d) It shall be unlawful for a person to sell a lottery ticket or share to a person under the age of 18 years. No person under the age of 18 years shall purchase a lottery ticket or share. A person who violates this subsection shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

(e) It shall be a defense for the person who sold a ticket or share in violation of subsection (d) of this section if the person does either of the following:

(1) Shows that the purchaser produced a valid drivers license, a special identification card issued under G.S. 20-37.7, a military identification card, or a passport, showing the purchaser to be at least 18 years old and bearing a physical description of the person named on the card that reasonably describes the purchaser.

(2) Produces evidence of other facts that reasonably indicated at the time of sale that the purchaser was at least 18 years old.