FAQ

The Lottery currently offers three games by subscription, Lotto, Mega Millions and Cash 4 Life. In the future we plan to offer subscriptions for other New York Lottery games.

Yes, click here to subscribe to Lotto, Mega Millions, and Cash 4 Life through our website using either a Credit Card or a Checking/Savings account as your method of payment. We accept MasterCard, Visa, and Discover and e-check payment. Please note that the Lottery does not charge any fees for using a credit card and processes the transaction as a purchase. However, some credit card companies assess fees or treat a lottery purchase as a cash advance. Subscribers should check with their credit card company or refer to their credit card agreement.

No. Mail-in subscriptions are no longer accepted by the NYS Lottery.

To purchase a New York Lottery subscription, the purchaser must be located in New York State at the time of the purchase. Mobile devices may be used to purchase a subscription when using Wi-Fi within New York.

No. The Lottery does not issue refunds or credit for any active subscriptions.

Yes. You can purchase multiple subscriptions for Mega Millions, Lotto and Cash 4 Life through the internet.

When a subscription application is approved by the Lottery, the subscriber is sent a confirmation e-mail within 24 hours indicating the effective date (the date the subscription starts) and the expiration date (the last date or drawing for which the subscription will be active.) The confirmation includes the numbers played. A subscription confirmation is your official receipt for the purchase of your subscription. Please do not assume a subscription has been approved until your confirmation has been received.

You will receive an email confirmation from subscription-center@mynylottery.org. (Please add subscription-center@mynylottery.org to your email address book to ensure your email confirmation does not go to your SPAM folder.)

No. Numbers can only be changed at the time of renewal.

If you choose the Quick Pick option, a random set of numbers will be generated for you when your subscription is processed. This set of numbers will be included in your subscription confirmation (link to subscription confirmation question) and will remain in effect for the duration of your subscription.

If you win a jackpot prize, you will be notified by an official Lottery representative.

The Lottery automatically creates a prize account for all subscribers. All prizes of $600 or less are credited to your prize account. The Lottery automatically sends winners a check for all prizes over $600. The Lottery also sends an email notification of any prize, regardless of the amount, to those players who provide an email address.

You may request a 'cash out' payment from your prize account at any time. The amount of the payment cannot exceed your prize account balance at the time of the request. The payment is made in the form of a check and is mailed to the address you provided in your profile. Any prize account funds identified as "non-refundable" are not available for 'cash out'. Payment requests are limited to a minimum of $50. If your balance is under $50, the entire balance will be paid upon request.
At any time you may use all or some of the available funds in your Prize Account towards a purchase or renewal on this website.

Yes. Click here to sign in to the New York Lottery Subscription Center. You will be asked to provide your name and your subscription number in order to access your account.

Yes. Groups of players can share the cost of a subscription and share prizes when they win. Groups must have a minimum of 2 members and a maximum of 25 members. When playing through the Lottery's Subscription Center, each group member must register and create an online account prior to the subscription purchase. The group representative must access the subscription center from a computer or other electronic device physically located within New York State. (Note: Subscriptions cannot be purchased using a mobile device such as an IPad or cellular device).

Each group chooses one of its members to act as the group representative. This member is responsible for completing the group application, providing the name, address and residency information for each group member, and indicating the share of the subscription each member owns. (Group members do not have to own equal shares. For example, two members could own one share each, while a third owns two shares or one member could own two shares while another owns three shares.) The group representative will be sent the group subscription confirmation and renewal notices.

Prizes of $600 or less will be credited to the group representative's player account. It is the responsibility of the group representative to split these prizes among the members of the group or to use the funds to purchase other subscriptions.
Prizes over $600 must be reported to Federal and State tax agencies; therefore, the Lottery mails individual prize checks to each group member using the most current list of members provided by the group representative. It is important for the group representative to review and update the group member information at the time of renewal. Failure to complete this section on the renewal could delay the payment of prizes to group members. The Lottery is not responsible for disputes between or among group members.

Yes, New York Lottery offers a gift subscription. The purchaser selects the game, number of draws and numbers for the gift recipient. The purchaser and gift recipient must both be 18 years or older and located within New York State.

Once a gift subscription is purchased, the gift recipient will receive an email confirmation the following business day. The gift purchaser can choose to delay notification for a chosen period of time, which may be up to 90 days. If the recipient does not respond to the email notification to register the subscription in the gift recipient's name within 30 days, a reminder email will be sent to the gift recipient. If registration fails to occur within 7 days after the reminder email is sent, the gift instead will be activated in the purchaser's name and not the gift recipient's name.

The Lottery is required by law to confirm all applicants are age 18 or older. The information you provide helps us confirm your identity and age. Confirmation may not be possible if you have recently moved or recently reached the age of 18, since databases may take up to three months to be updated.

Federal law prohibits the sale of lottery across state borders. Before a subscription is purchased online, the purchaser's location is verified to ensure the purchaser is located within New York State.

The Lottery's verification process may recognize a prospective purchaser's location as being outside of New York, which leads to purchase rejection. Contact your internet provider for additional information.