New York Numbers
New York Numbers is an exciting, fast-paced lottery that offers lots of different ways to win, a top prize of $500, and some amazing odds!
Players must select three numbers from 0 to 9 and a play type – the win-condition for the ticket. Finally, decide whether to bet $0.50 or $1 and you’re ready to go. The rules are very similar to New York’s Win 4 lottery, if you’re familiar with that game. The main difference is that we’re only picking three numbers here, instead of four.
Latest Draws for New York Numbers
There are two NY Numbers draws every day – the Midday draw takes place at 2:30 PM, and the Evening draw at 10:30 PM ET. You can check the results over on our New York Numbers Results page, which we upload moments after every drawing.
How to Play New York Numbers
First, select your numbers – as mentioned, you can pick from 0 to 9 and duplicate numbers are allowed, and even affect the odds and prizes for your game. We’ll explain this in detail further on.
Next, you’ve got to decide on a play type, and how much you want to wager. The play types are the rules for how your numbers can win, and you can bet either $0.50 or $1 on most play types. The only difference between betting $0.50 and $1 is that the prizes for $1 bets are twice as big! Everything else (such as the winning odds) stay the same. Here are all the options:
Straight
Your numbers must match the winning numbers in the order they are drawn. You can wager either $0.50 or $1.
Box
Your numbers must match the winning numbers, but the order doesn’t matter. You can wager either $0.50 or $1.
Straight/Box
This play type always costs $1, which is split into two bets: $0.50 on a Box, and $0.50 on a Straight. Match the numbers in any order to win the Box prize, or match in drawn-order to win both the Straight AND the Box prizes.
Combination
Combination plays will enter every possible combination of your numbers as a separate Straight bet. So in this play type, you can win the Straight prize (the top prize of $500!) by matching the winning numbers in any order. However, this play type is more expensive – ticket costs range from $1.50 to $6.
Pairs
You can play a Front Pair play, or a Back Pair play. To win, you only need to match either the first or last two of the winning numbers in drawn order, depending on which option you selected. You can wager either $0.50 or $1.
"Ways" to Play NY Numbers
If you’re mathematically-minded, you might have noticed that playing three unique numbers for the Box, Straight/Box, and Combination plays gives you better odds than using the same number twice. This is because the number 123 (for example) can be arranged six different ways:
123, 132, 213, 231, 312, 321
While the number 112 (also for example) can only be arranged three ways:
112, 121, 211
So, in a game where you can win with any possible combination of your numbers, the first example has more chances of winning! This is known as the number of Ways – the odds for 6-Way numbers are much better, but the game balances things out.
For Box and Straight/Box plays, the prizes for winning with 3-Way numbers are higher than 6-Way prizes. Meanwhile for Combination plays, the prize stays the same whether you play 3-Way or 6-Way, but the ticket cost increases if you play a 6-Way number.
Which is your favourite Way to play? You can find the odds and prizes for all the different play types and Ways over on our NY Numbers Prizes page for the exact details!
The Instant Win Add-On
For an extra $1 on your ticket, you can play an additional minigame on your NY Numbers ticket and be in with the chance to win up to $500 right there in the store!
If you add Instant Win to your ticket, you’ll get a further three random numbers from 0 to 9, each with a prize value printed next to it. If any of your Pick 3 numbers match a random Instant Match number, you win the prize printed next to it, and can claim your winnings on the spot. Cool! Head to our Prizes page to check the odds of winning each prize.