How to Claim a Prize (2024)

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Claiming at a Lottery Customer Service Center

To claim your prize at a Lottery Customer Service Center, you may need to setup an appointment. In Schenectady, appointments are not available, please walk-in for service. Buffalo and Syracuse are not able to accommodate walk-in service at this time, appointments are required.

You will need to bring your winning ticket, fill out a Winner Claim Form and show a valid, government-issued ID. Acceptable forms of identification include:

  • US/Foreign Passport
  • Driver License or Non-Driver ID
  • Driver Learner Permit
  • Government ID
  • Certificate of Naturalization
  • Certificate of Citizenship
  • Permanent Resident Card (Green Card)
  • Birth Certificate and a form of photo ID with name
  • US Military ID
  • Social Security Card or Federal Taxpayer ID Certification must be presented with these forms of ID:
    • New York City ID
    • New York State Benefit ID Card
    • MTA Reduced Fare MetroCard

Your Winner Claim Form must include your Social Security Number, TIN or FEIN. Your claim will be processed on-site unless your prize is a Jackpot win, a Mega Millions prize of $500,000 or more, or a Powerball prize of $50,000 or more. These claims will be provided to the Lottery’s Schenectady headquarters for processing.

Make a copy of your Winner Claim Form and winning ticket and hold onto them until you receive your prize. Schedule an appointment at a New York Lottery Customer Service Center.

Lottery Customer Service and Prize Claim Centers

Lottery Customer Service Centers can process up to 30 winning tickets per visit. Players may leave additional tickets for processing.
Prize Claim Centers are located at Video Gaming Facilities and Casinos. You must be 21+ to claim at casinos. Powerball® prizes less than $50,000 and prizes less than $250,000 for all other games can be claimed at Prize Claim Centers.

Key

How to Claim a Prize (1) Customer Service Center

How to Claim a Prize (2) Prize Claims Center

*View Claim Center details: Hover over pins for info, click to keep modal open

Find a Claim Center

Choose your county from the drop-down list to find a claim center near you.

Choose your county from the drop-down list to find a claim center near you.

Select Your County

*Only counties with active claim centers listed.

Claiming by Mail

Winning tickets for all amounts may be mailed to the address below. Complete the ticket back and include a completed Winner Claim Form (download link above). Make a copy of the front and back of your ticket, as well as the completed Winner Claim Form. We recommend you use registered mail to track your mailing. Please be sure to include a return address:

New York Lottery

PO Box 7533

Schenectady, NY 12301-7533



Remember! Draw Game prizes must be claimed within one year of the draw date. Scratch-Off Game prizes must be claimed within one year from the announced end of the game. Winning Scratch-Off ticket Prize Claim Deadline information can be found by finding your game's individual page, or in the Game Report PDF, on the Scratch-Off Games Page. If you do not see the game listed, it’s likely past its Prize Claim Deadline. You may use the Contact link to confirm a ticket’s Prize Claim Deadline has passed.

IMPORTANT: Starting April 4, 2023: Any vouchers from video lottery facilities must be cashed in person or by U.S. mail by the facility where the voucher was issued. Such vouchers may be cashed up to one year from the date of issuance. Vouchers may no longer be claimed at Lottery Claim Centers (except for those issued prior to April 4 and older than 45 days).

How to Claim a Prize FAQs

What payment options are available if I win a Jackpot prize?

Scratch-Off Games -Some Scratch-Off Games only offer the jackpot prize as one lump-sum payment, however, as of May 1, 2013, a new Scratch-Off Game annuity jackpot claimant now has the choice of a lump sum prize payment or the announced annuity payment.

Lotto, Mega Millions, Powerball, or Cash4Life -There are two jackpot payment options available if you win a jackpot prize from any of these games: annuity payments or lump sum cash value. 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. When you come in to claim your ticket, your options will be discussed.

When do I receive my jackpot prize?

Once your prize claim has been approved by the Lottery, and the Press and Community Relations Office completes your media announcement, your lump sum or initial payment will be electronically transferredto the bank account of your choice. We’ll tell you more when you first claim your prize!

How can I tell if my Scratch-Off Game is a winner?

Each Scratch-Off Game has features that help to identify whether it is a winning ticket. In addition to the number and/or symbols used for game play, each has a caption printed under it with either the spelling of the number or an abbreviation of the number. Both the number and caption must match to identify a winning ticket and the validation codes on the ticket must match the Lottery's computer records for the game. You can also take your Scratch-Off Game to a retailer or scan it with our mobile app to confirm its status.

What if I lose my winning Lottery ticket?

All Lottery tickets are bearer instruments, meaning the tickets are like currency. If you lose your ticket and it does not have your signature on it, anyone can use the ticket to claim a prize. If you lose your ticket, please contact a Customer Service Center. Remember to always sign the back of your tickets right away.

Can I claim a prize while I’m in another country?

Yes. Since you're overseas, you can download a Winner Claim Form and mail it to: New York Lottery PO Box 7533 Schenectady, NY 12301-7533.

What is the deadline to claim a prize on a Scratch-Off Game?

Prize Claim Deadlines are posted on each Scratch-Off Game’s individual page (find your game here).

Do I have to choose a payment option at the time I buy my ticket or subscription to LOTTO, Mega Millions or Powerball?

You don’t have to choose a jackpot payment option at the time of purchase. If you win a jackpot, you will have up to 60 days to choose from the date you claim your prize at a Lottery Customer Service Center.

Where can I claim the free play of a Take 5 Quick Pick Prize?

The bonus prize of a Take Five Quick Pick is called a Free Play. It can be redeemed at any retailer location within 45 days of the draw date.

What if I die before I receive all my jackpot payments?

The Lottery will continue making payments to the original prize winner, the estate of a deceased prize winner, or whoever the Lottery is ordered to pay pursuant to an appropriate judicial order. This is according to New York State Tax Law Section 1613. Lottery payments will not be accelerated upon a prize winner's death.

Can I cash my Cash4Life, Mega Millions or Powerball winning ticket in any of the other states that offer these games?

No, sorry! Winning tickets must be cashed in the state in which you purchased them. This is because the states with Cash4Life, Mega Millions, and Powerball run independent computer systems that can’t process or validate tickets from the other states.

Will it be announced that I’ve won the lottery?

You may be required to attend and participate in a press event and public announcement. The New York Lottery is a government agency and Lottery prizes are public funds, so we owe it to all our players to disclose the names of winners. If you’re a Lottery winner, your name and city of residence may be public information, but we won’t release your street address or telephone number. The Lottery requires personal information from prize winners pursuant to its authority under Tax law Section 1604 to operate and administer the New York Lottery, which includes the marketing and advertising of the Lottery and the identification of the person entitled to a prize award. The Lottery may defer the determination of a prize claim pending a claimant's participation in a news conference, announcement, the conclusion of any investigation, or litigation concerning the right to a prize.

Still need help?

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Help Center.

How to Claim a Prize (2024)

FAQs

What is the formula for the lottery algorithm? ›

To find the odds of winning any lottery, divide the number of winning lottery numbers by the total number of possible lottery numbers. If the numbers are chosen from a set and the order of the numbers doesn't matter, use the formula. r ! ( n − r ) !

How do you increase your chances of winning the lottery? ›

To better your chances of winning any lottery, you have to buy more tickets, he said. The more tickets, the more chances of choosing the right combination of numbers.

How do lottery winners receive their money? ›

There are two ways lottery winners can claim their earnings: as a lump sum or annual payments over time. Both result in a lottery payout, but there are pros and cons to each. You'll receive your after-tax winnings immediately if you claim a lump sum payout.

How do you intend to utilize the prize money if you win? ›

Here are some examples of how you could spend your prize money: * Invest it in your education or future career. * Use it to start a business or side hustle. * Donate it to a charity that you care about.

What are the 6 most common winning lottery numbers? ›

The most frequently drawn winning numbers from the main barrel are 17, 7, 11, 2, 3 and 9, while the least frequently drawn are 33, 15, 34, 31, 26 and 1. The most frequently drawn Powerball numbers are 19 and 2, while the least frequently drawn Powerball numbers are 14 and 16.

Can you predict lottery using math? ›

Abstract We use mathematical statistics theory to derive the Compound-Dirichlet-Multinomial (CDM) prediction model. We then use this model to predict winning numbers for the 6-number, 5-number, pick-4 and pick-3 lottery games.

Is there a technique to win the lottery? ›

“The only way to really increase the odds of winning any lottery is to buy more tickets. The more tickets you buy, the more chances you have to win,” Kapoor said. “I've seen it all and those tips are usually technically true but useless, or are just not true,” said Lesser, who maintains a website on lottery literacy.

Who won the lottery 14 times? ›

In the 1990s, Romanian-Australian economist Stefan Mandel and his small team entered the lottery and won. Over and over and over again. The feat, of course, wasn't achieved through having a really lucky set of numbers.

Has anyone ever won Mega Millions with Quick Pick? ›

11. $536 Million (Indiana) On July 8, 2016, an Indiana couple won this mega jackpot after buying 5 Quick Pick tickets on a road trip. The winning family was able to remain anonymous by accepting their prize through a law firm in the state.

How many years does a lottery payout take? ›

What are the lottery payout options? Jackpot winners can choose one of two payout options: They can get the full prize spread out in payments over 29 years (called the annuity option) or take a smaller one-time lump sum.

How much goes to taxes if I win $1 million dollars? ›

In practice, there is a 24 percent federal withholding of the gross prize, plus the remaining tax, based on your filing status. For example, if your gross prize is $1,000,000, you need to pay $334,072 in total taxes ($240,000 federal withholding, plus the remaining $94,072 for single filing status in 2021).

Can lottery winnings be inherited? ›

Winning the lottery gives a lucky person access to substantial financial resources that can help them achieve their financial goals and dreams. But what happens when a lottery winner passes away? Can a beneficiary inherit these winnings? In short, yes, lottery winnings can be inherited.

Where should you put your money if you win the lottery? ›

Your first instinct may be to deposit the first payment of your winnings safely in a financial institution while you plan your financial future. Your current bank or credit union is a good place to start but be sure to verify that the amount of your deposit is federally insured.

How to stay safe after winning the lottery? ›

Practicalities of Claiming the Jackpot
  1. Safeguard the ticket. Sign the back of the ticket immediately and then store it somewhere secure. ...
  2. Be choosy about who you tell about your win. ...
  3. Engage a Lawyer and Financial Advisor. ...
  4. Decide on taking the lump-sum or annuity option. ...
  5. Plan on income taxes in two parts.
Jan 31, 2024

How to give money to family after winning the lottery? ›

Consult with a Tax Professional: Before you start doling out cash, get in touch with someone who can guide you through the tax implications. Set Up Trusts: For larger gifts, consider setting up trusts. It's like giving your money a blueprint for how you want it to be used and can provide some tax benefits.

What is the best formula for the lottery numbers? ›

There is no mathematical formula or method that can accurately predict the winning numbers in a lottery. Lotteries are typically designed to be random and based on chance, making it impossible to predict the outcome with certainty. Each number in a lottery draw is usually drawn independently and randomly.

Is there a method to picking lottery numbers? ›

Numerous winners have opted for completely random number combinations, either using Quick Picks or generating them through random number generators or using their own diverse set of numbers.

What is the pattern of winning the lottery numbers? ›

The idea that you can win the lottery by looking for patterns in previous winning numbers is a common misconception. Lotteries are designed to be random and fair, and each number combination has the same odds of winning, regardless of past results.

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