New York Lottery Information (2024)

FAQs

How does the NY lottery work? ›

Lotto is drawn Wednesdays and Saturdays. A $1 play consists of 2 games. Six from 1 to 59 numbers are drawn, followed by a bonus ball from the remaining 53 numbers. Matching three numbers wins $1; other winners share parimutuel prizes.

The jackpot prize is payable as a twenty-five year annuity or a one-time lump sum payment at the election of the winner. The amount of the lump sum payment is equal to the cash required to purchase the annuity.

Whether you choose lump sum or annual payments, all payments are made by direct deposit wire two to three business days after the required press event. How are “For Life” prizes paid out? “For Life” prizes may be paid annually or as a one-time payment, depending on how you choose to receive your prize.

Mega Millions® tickets cost $2.00 per play. Players may pick six numbers from two separate pools of numbers - five different numbers from 1 to 70 (the white balls) and one number from 1 to 25 (the gold Mega Ball) - or select Easy Pick/Quick Pick.

Come tax time, some states will also take a piece of your lottery winnings. How large a piece depends on where you live. The Big Apple takes the biggest bite, at up to 13%. That's because New York State's income tax can be as high as 8.82%, and New York City levies one up to 3.876%.

The biggest prizes are awarded in Mega Millions and Powerball. Each player picks a series of numbers that they hope will be randomly selected during the next drawing. The jackpot goes to the person (or people) who pick all six numbers correctly. The odds of doing that are shockingly low.

You win 4,000.00 for every 10.00 play, if your selected 2-number combination match the winning 2-number combination in exact order.

Similarly, these states end Powerball sales at 10 p.m. ET: California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin.

In New York State, lottery winners are generally required to disclose their identities as part of the public record. As the New York Lottery is a government agency, they have a duty to members of the public to disclose the winner.

How to stay safe after winning the lottery? ›

There are three ways to claim prizes $599 and under: visit a Lottery retailer, claim at a Lottery District Office or claim by mail. Option 1: Visit a Lottery Retailer Best Option! Take your winning ticket to a Lottery retailer and the clerk will hand you cash on the spot.

Four numbers - $500

The odds of buying a ticket containing four numbers without the Mega Ball more than double again to 38,792 to 1 chance, but so too does the prize at $500.

If you match just the Mega Ball (and don't match any of the five regular numbers), you win a $2 prize and break even on the $2 cost of your Mega Millions ticket. However, If you match one white ball but not the Mega Ball, there is no prize.

Numbers are randomly selected when they get sucked out of the chamber and displayed. Gravity pick is the method used by Powerball and Mega Millions: A drum constantly bounces and mixes the numbered balls as it spins. When the time comes, the balls that fall out of the machine and onto a rack are the chosen ones.

How do I win a prize? To win in Pick 10, match your chosen numbers with the drawn winning numbers. The more numbers you match, the greater your prize. Prizes start at either matching Zero (0) drawn numbers, or matching at least six (6) numbers and the jackpot is awarded for matching all ten (10) numbers.

Note: The jackpot prize will be divided equally among multiple jackpot winners. In some cases, the fixed prizes may be paid on a pari-mutuel basis and will be lower than these published amounts. The odds of winning a prize in New York Lotto are 1 in 92.05 and the odds of winning the Jackpot is 45,057,474!