New York Lottery

The New York Lottery began in 1967 as the third modern U.S. lottery, after Puerto Rico's began in 1934, and New Hampshire's in 1964. It provides revenue for public education, and is based in Schenectady.

History

Prior to the 20th century, lotteries were used in New York to raise revenue for non-educational needs. New York City Hall was built in part with lottery proceeds. Other lotteries helped build and repair canals, roads, ferries, and bridges. Lotteries also were held for non-public needs. They helped develop New York City's manufacturing industries. Churches were built, rebuilt, or improved, with lottery funds.

On November 8, 1966, New Yorkers voted to approve a constitutional amendment authorizing a government-run lottery. The referendum passed with over 60% in favor. The proceeds of the Lottery were to be "applied exclusively to, or in aid or support of, education." In 1967, the New York Legislature created a Division of the Lottery and a Lottery Commission within the Department of Taxation and Finance. The Lottery later became an autonomous unit within the Department of Taxation and Finance. Under the New York State Lottery for Education Law, the Director of the Division of the Lottery has full authority over the administration of the Lottery.

The Lottery began in 1967; its first slogan was "Your Chance of a Lifetime to Help Education". It has generated over $34 billion in aid to education revenue.

Sales were suspended for about nine months in the mid-1970s due to a scandal.

An agreement between Mega Millions and Powerball was reached in October 2009. All US lotteries with either game were allowed to sell tickets for both games beginning January 31, 2010. (Powerball is drawn in Florida.)

Players must be at least 18 years old (including video lottery); however, the minimum is 21 for Quick Draw (a keno-based game drawn four minutes apart) in establishments where alcohol is served.

New York Lottery winnings are subject to state and Federal income taxes. New York City and Yonkers residents also are subject to local income taxes.

Despite it being the US lottery with the highest sales, the New York Lottery has been increasingly criticized for offering low payout percentages (neighboring lotteries often give players a better return.) This is especially true for the jackpot game NY Lotto, which has the lowest prize return (40%) of any US lottery game. (In the most recent fiscal year, sales of Lotto were down almost 15% from the previous 12 months; its minimum rollovers are now only $500,000 annuity.) Also, unlike many lotteries, NY winners of annuity prizes for "instant games" cannot choose lump sum in lieu of the periodic payments.[1]

Current games

Twice-weekly games

Powerball

Main article: Powerball

Powerball began in 1992 as a seven-member game; initially, it was drawn Saturdays only. It gradually added jurisdictions; as part of the cross-selling expansion with Mega Millions in 2010, Powerball added New York. Powerball is drawn Wednesdays and Saturdays; for each $1 wagered, players choose five numbers from 1 through 59, and a red "Powerball", from 1 through 39. Including the jackpot, there are nine prize levels. For an additional $1 per game, the Power Play option can be activated; it multiplies non-jackpot winnings.

Powerball's format has changed several times; its first, in 1997, introduced its cash option. Powerball's next format change will be in January 2012; among the changes will be an increased price point: $2 for a regular game, or $3 with Power Play.

Mega Millions

Main article: Mega Millions

Drawn Tuesdays and Fridays, Mega Millions is played in a similar fashion as Powerball. Mega Millions players choose five numbers from 1 through 56, and the gold-colored "Mega Ball", a number from 1 through 46.

Mega Millions, originally The Big Game, began in 1996. The six-member game added New Jersey in 1999. The Big Game became The Big Game Mega Millions briefly in May 2002, when Ohio and New York joined simultaneously. There were 12 members of Mega Millions at the time of the 2010 cross-selling expansion.

The Megaplier, which is similar to Powerball's Power Play, was initially available only in Texas. The Megaplier became available to New York players of Mega Millions in January 2011; simultaneously, the Lottery discontinued the requirement of choosing cash or annuity when playing Mega Millions. As with most Mega Millions members, New York now gives jackpot winners a 60-day window, upon claiming, to make the choice.

Lotto

Lotto is drawn Wednesdays and Saturdays. Six numbers from 1-59 are drawn; a bonus ball is drawn from the remaining 53. Jackpots begin at $3 million, increasing by $500,000 per rollover. Payout is 40% of sales (minus a 2% reserve fund); it is believed to have the lowest payout of any US lottery game, and has the worst odds of any pick-6 game in the US (it has the most numbers of any such game; Lotto Texas has 54). Partly because Powerball is drawn the same nights, Lotto sales have continued their years-long decline; 2010 sales of the game were down 22% from the previous year. Players must choose either cash value or 26 annual payments when playing, instead of after winning. Players get two games for each $1 played.

Sweet Million

Sweet Million is drawn Mondays and Thursdays. It draws six numbers from 1 through 40. Games cost $1 each. The top prize is $1 million, paid in a lump sum; it does not carry over if there is no 6-of-6 winner. (If there are more than five winners of the top prize in a given drawing, they split $5 million.) Matching five numbers wins $500; four numbers, $40; three numbers, $3. The payout percentage is 48.65% of sales. Odds of winning the top prize are 1 in 3,838,380.

Daily Games

Numbers

Three balls, each 0 through 9, are drawn twice daily, at 12:26pm and 7:51pm. Prices, prizes, and options vary.

Win 4

Win 4 is drawn as in Numbers, but with 4 balls, twice daily, at 12:26pm and 7:51pm.

Take 5

Take 5 is drawn nightly. Five numbers from 1 through 39 are drawn. First prize rolls down if there is no 5-of-5 winner. Matching 5, 4, or 3 numbers wins a parimutuel cash prize; matching 2 numbers wins a free play that must be claimed within 45 days of winning. The Lottery has, for promotional periods, drawn a Take 5 "bonus ball"; during these promotions, there are eight prize levels, instead of the usual four. Overall odds of winning are 1 in 9; odds of winning the top prize are 1 in 575,757.

Pick 10

Pick 10, is drawn once daily. It draws 20 numbers from 1 through 80. Players choose 10 numbers; games cost $1 each. Matching 10 of the 20 numbers wins $500,000.

Quick Draw

Quick Draw is played at Lottery retailers with a monitor. It is a keno-style game drawn every 4 minutes from 4:04 a.m. to 3:24 a.m. Players choose from 1 to 10 numbers, and a computer draws 20 numbers from 1 through 80. Prices, prizes, and options vary.

Video lottery

Available at nine parimutuel facilities:

• Batavia Downs, Batavia
• Finger Lakes Gaming and Race Track, Farmington
• The Fairgrounds Gaming, Hamburg
• Monticello Raceway, Monticello
• Saratoga Casino and Raceway, Saratoga Springs (not to be confused with nearby Saratoga Race Course)
• Tioga Downs, Nichols
• Vernon Downs, Vernon
• Empire City at Yonkers Raceway, Yonkers
• Aqueduct Racetrack, Ozone Park, Queens

New York video lottery, by law, offers a 92% minimum payout percentage.

Instant Games

Numerous scratchcard games are available; formats, prices and payouts vary.

Unlike other US lotteries, winners of annuity prizes in New York Lottery scratch games cannot choose lump sum in lieu of the periodic payments, even where the annuity stream is a finite (e.g. 20) number of payments.

Drawings

New York Lottery drawings are syndicated to television stations. Pick 10 drawings air nightly on MSG Network and the Sabres Hockey Network at 11:00 p.m. All other draw games, except for Sweet Million, air on these stations: WABC-TV New York (except Powerball, Take 5, and Lotto; the last two are aired on the station's website, 7online.com, while Powerball is not aired), WSYR-TV Syracuse, WBNG Binghamton, WGRZ Buffalo, WETM-TV Elmira, WPTZ Plattsburgh, WHAM-TV Rochester (except Powerball), WWTI Watertown, and WUAM/YNN Capital Region. (Both WBNG and WETM's newscasts are seen in the Binghamton area.) Mega Millions & Powerball drawings are shown at 11:00 p.m., while Take 5 and Lotto are drawn at 11:21 p.m. The Numbers and Win 4 drawings are held at 12:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Powerball drawings can be seen in the New York and Rochester areas via the national cable/satellite feed of WGN America. The Utica-Rome region (which does not receive WGN on cable) does not see live lottery drawings; the local affiliate, WUTR, dropped lottery drawings when it first shut down its news division in 2003, and neither they nor rival WKTV have picked up the drawings since.

Sweet Million drawings are viewable online only. Its drawings are held Mondays and Thursdays at 9:30 p.m.

External links

• Official site