If you're a winner, visit the How to Claim a Prize page for more information. If you still need additional assistance, visit our Glossary or Contact pages.
FAQ
Buying Tickets and Playing
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Why can’t I purchase a particular Scratch-Off Game?
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Can I buy New York Lottery tickets online?
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Where can I play Powerball?
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Where can I play Mega Millions?
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Where can I play Cash4Life?
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What is a Lottery Courier Service?
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Which companies are currently licensed by the New York Gaming Commission?
Winning and Prize Information
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Are you a winner?
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When is the New York Lottery required to report lottery winnings?
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Are all the big winners from New York City?
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Do I need to match the Powerball in exact order to win?
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Can there be multiple winners for the LOTTO top prize?
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What are the payout percentages of New York Lottery games?
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How do I know which Scratch-Off Games still have a top prize available?
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Does the unclaimed number of tickets on the Scratch-Off Game pages mean that those winning tickets have already been purchased at a retailer and not claimed, or are those tickets still up for sale somewhere?
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What happens to unclaimed prize money?
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Do I have to be a U.S. citizen to play and/or win the New York Lottery?
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Who do I contact if I think I've been paid incorrectly?
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How do I contact Jackpocket for customer service?
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How do I contact Lotto.com for customer service?
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How do I contact Jackpot.com for customer service?
Drawings
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Where can I watch live drawings?
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Where can I see the televised drawings?
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Are the same machines and ball sets used for both the Midday and Evening drawings?
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How often are the ball sets changed?
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How can I see all the drawing results for particular lottery games?
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How are the winning numbers picked?
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Where can I watch Lottery drawings in Spanish?
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How can I get winning numbers in Spanish?
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¿Dónde puedo ver los sorteos de la Lotería en español?
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¿Cómo puedo obtener números ganadores en español?
Game Information
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Can I play Multi-Draw of my favorite games?
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Is there an Instant Win for the Take 5 game?
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Are Quick Picks more or less likely to win than my numbers?
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Are Quick Pick numbers randomly chosen?
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How does Booster Ball work?
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What is the Cash4Life Cash Ball?
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Why can’t I play Quick Draw in all New York Lottery retailers?
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How does the Lottery set the LOTTO jackpots?
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How often does the New York Lottery offer new Scratch-Off Games?
Taxes
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Will any money be withheld from my prize?
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What are the tax implications for winning a lottery prize?
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If I win a lottery prize and I don’t live in New York, will you withhold New York State income taxes from my prize?
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Do senior citizens have to pay taxes on lottery prizes?
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Are lottery prizes taxed? Why?
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Will past due child support, public assistance, and NYS tax debt be withheld from my prize?
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How can I contest past due child support, public assistance, and NYS tax debt offsets withheld from my prize?
Mission for Education
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What does the New York Lottery do with their profit?
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How do schools benefit from the New York Lottery?
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What were the New York Lottery’s earnings last year?
Information for Retailers
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How long does it take to become a retailer?
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How do I become a lottery retailer?
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Why wasn’t my business approved for a New York Lottery Retailer License?
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How are retailers evaluated during their application?
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Do retailers get extra commission for selling a winning ticket?
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How many lottery retailers are allowed in any one neighborhood?
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How do I become a New York Lottery Licensed Courier Service?
Press
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I’m a reporter. How do I get additional information about prize winners or get in touch with past winners?
Additional FAQs
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Who do I contact about my ideas for a new game or idea?
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Somebody told me the lottery is rigged. Is this true?
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What if I lose my ticket?
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How can I get a job with the lottery?
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I received a letter or email telling me that I’ve won the Lottery. Is this real?
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What Second Chance Programs does NYL provide?
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Where can I find rules and regulations?
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Where can I find tax law information?
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How do I delete my App account?
