New York Lottery

In New York, you can take your pick from an exciting array of lottery games. There are a number of daily games that are only available in the Empire State, plus New York’s very own Lotto. You can also enjoy multi-state lotteries Powerball, Mega Millions and Cash4Life.

Find out more below about the New York Lottery, including a draw schedule, game summaries, information on how to claim prizes and some more history about an organization that began back in 1967.

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New York Lottery Drawing Schedule

All the games available in New York are displayed below. Use the schedule to see the draw times and find out when ticket sales cut off. New York has perhaps the largest range of games in the country, so make sure you never miss out on the chance to win.

Game Draw Days Draw Times* Ticket Sales Close At*
Powerball Monday, Wednesday & Saturday 10:59 PM 10:00 PM
Mega Millions Tuesday & Friday 11:00 PM 10:00 PM
Cash4Life Daily 9:00 PM 8:45 PM
Lotto Wednesday & Saturday 8:15 PM 8:00 PM
Win 4 Daily 2:30 PM & 10:30 PM 2:15 PM & 10:20 PM
Take 5 Daily 2:30 PM & 10:30 PM 2:15 PM & 10:20 PM
Numbers Daily 2:30 PM & 10:30 PM 2:15 PM & 10:20 PM
Pick 10 Daily 8:30 PM 8:00 PM
*Times are shown in EST.

Game Summary

As well as Powerball, Mega Millions and Cash4Life, you can play a number of different games in New York. Here’s a brief summary. Please tap a link to view detailed information on a particular game:

New York Lotto is one of the most popular lottery games in the state, with draws taking place twice a week. You pick six numbers from 1 to 59 to take part, and win prizes for matching three or more. The jackpot keeps growing if it is not won and regularly climbs into the tens of millions of dollars.

Take 5 is a twice-daily draw game that offers great prizes seven days a week! The Midday drawing is held at 2:30 PM EST every day, followed by the Evening drawing at 10:30 PM EST every night. Tickets cost just $1 per play. All you need to do is select five numbers from 1 to 39 and fill out a playcard. Prizes are distributed on a pari-mutuel basis and prize amounts will vary based on the amount of tickets sold as well as the number of winning tickets.

Pick 10 is a daily drawing with a top prize of $500,000! Simply choose 10 numbers from 1 to 80 and wait for the draw. There are 20 numbers selected in a draw and you can win a prize by matching six or more of them, or even if you get none at all!

The New York Lottery also offers several quick draw games taking place twice per day or even every four minutes if you so desire. Click the links to see details of games like Numbers and Win 4.

Instant win games are very popular and are available for as little as $1 per ticket, providing quick moments of fun and excitement for all players. Instant win games are sold at retail locations across the state and can be claimed immediately at any retailer if the prize is under $600.

You must be at least 18 years old if you want to play New York Lottery games and if you want to play Quick Draw games in a venue where alcohol is served then you must be 21 or older.

Quick Draw is a fast-moving game drawn every four minutes (except for a break from 3:30 AM to 4:00 AM) where you can win up to $100,000. Decide how many numbers you want to try to match and how much you'll wager - from $1 to $10. The more you bet, the more you can win!

Money Dots is a rapid-fire game drawn every four minutes, just after Quick Draw (except for a break from 3:30 AM to 4:00 AM). For just $1, you have the chance to win up to $50. Money Dots is Quick Pick only; you'll receive a ticket with eight numbers chosen by the lottery computer.

Claiming New York Lottery Prizes

Prizes expire a year after the drawing date or date of game closure.

New York winners are not able to officially stay anonymous, but they may claim via an LLC to shield their identity.

Prizes of any value may be claimed by mail. Any prize worth $600 or less can also be claimed at any authorized New York Lottery retailer.

Federal, state and local withholding taxes (for residents of Yonkers and New York City) will apply to all prizes over $5,000.

Claim a prize by mail

For prizes under $600, simply sign your ticket and mail to the address below.

If your prize is over $600, you'll need to also fill out and send a claim form.

Mail to:

New York Lottery
PO Box 7533
Schenectady, NY 12301-7533

Buying New York Lottery Tickets

If you're living in the U.S. but are not a resident of the state of New York, then you will have to travel there to buy lottery tickets in person. Tickets for Take 5, Pick 10, Numbers, Quickdraw and other great games are sold at authorized retailers across the state.

History of the New York Lottery

The New York Lottery began in 1966, when voters in the state approved a referendum that authorized the creation of a government-run lottery. In 1967, the Lottery Commission was created as a part of the Department of Taxation and Finance. Today, the NYS Gaming Commission regulates lotteries, casinos and betting in the state of New York.

The New York Lottery has generated over $80 billion for educational initiatives across the state and donates approximately 30% of sales revenue to educational programs and incentives. More than $3 billion is allocated to education funding every year, benefiting more than 700 school districts.

For more information visit the official New York Lottery website