New York Lotto Exposed — Official and Trustworthy

New York Lotto Review

Playing lotteries out of the United States usually gets people thinking of mega millions. The New York Lotto isn’t one of the big ones though it did have a $58 million jackpot. It was established in 1967 to help fund education in the State of New York and has raised about $56 million to date. I’m still a little mixed on whether I like the idea of lottery funding initiatives like this and tend to favor those that commit a more significant percentage to prizes. So what can you win at New York Lotto?

Winning at New York Lotto

This isn’t a big lotto like US Powerball, but New York Lotto is consistent and does build. If a player wins the big jackpot, they have sixty days to choose whether they want it as a lump sum or a 25-year annuity. Pick all six numbers, and players win the big jackpot. The prize tier pays out through five tiers, with the amount varying depending on sales.

Is TheLotter legit and safe to play in New York?

New York Lotto’s Game

This lottery is played Wednesdays and Saturdays weekly. Players choose six numbers from 1 to 59. The draw includes a bonus ball from the same pool of numbers. The bonus ball only comes into play on the second-tier prize.

New York Lotto Takes Taxes

Remember that this is not a tax-free lottery with both state and federal taxes payable for foreigners, which means 6% for the state and 30% for the feds. For US residents, the fed tax is less. Wherever you live and play New York Lotto, make sure you get good advice if you win to figure out the best way to handle your jackpot.

Big Apple Shrinking

The New York Lotto has had its ups and downs with a steady decline in sales. This is mostly a result of the big lotteries offered in the US, including Powerball and MegaMillions. In November 2012, rollover increases decreased from $500,000 to $300,000. In April 2013, the starting jackpot went from $3 million to $2 million. Compare this to the increase in one jackpot in the late ’90s, where its jackpot was $10 million after one rollover due to sales.

New York Lotto is Official

New York State Lottery operates the New York Lotto on behalf of the state, with all transactions governed by the New York Lottery and Gaming Commission. Players must be a minimum of 18 years to play, though they must be 21 years where alcoholic beverages are served. I had a good chuckle on that one. I was picturing myself on my computer at my local, ordering tickets and sipping a beer.

Complaints at New York Lotto

There are the usual people/scams using the name game in scamming people on either identity theft or fees for processing. The check game also seems to be doing the rounds. If you haven’t heard of this one, mainly the scammers send you a check from New York State Lotto saying that it represents the taxes and fees to process your win. The idea is to get you to deposit the check and then send the same amount to a location somewhere the person can pick up the money and disappear. The check bounces and the player is stuck. Smart people would wait until the check is cleared. More intelligent people tear it up!

Customer Service at New York Lotto

The New York State Lottery operates new York Lotto; hence those are the guys that you talk to. They can be reached by snail mail, telephone, and an online form. There is no online chat or email address. It appears the telephone numbers are only accessible during EST.

Why You Should Play New York Lotto

Pros:

Official

Twice a Week

Why You Shouldn’t Play New York Lotto

Cons:

Diminishing

Taxable

Is New York State Lotto Legit?

This is a nice little lottery – sorry, it is small compared to some others available. Only 40% of the take (that’s sales) goes to the prize, and the overall jackpot has decreased through the last year.  The tax side does mean the government gets a chunk of your win.

New York Lotto gets a thumbs up, although if players are looking for big jackpots, this isn’t the place to play. It does grow, but given the current rollover, it’s not going to happen fast.