How to Play NY Scratch-Off Tickets

Step 1 — Choose a game

Decide your budget per ticket ($1, $2, $3, $5, $10, $20, or $30) and pick a game. We recommend checking live odds and our Smart Score rankings first — odds and remaining-prize counts vary widely between games.

Step 2 — Buy at a licensed retailer

Visit any of the 18,000+ NY Lottery retailers (convenience stores, gas stations, supermarkets). Ask the clerk for the game by name or game number. Pay in cash or with a debit card (credit cards prohibited under NY law). Use our store finder to locate one near you.

Step 3 — Scratch the play area

Use a coin or fingernail to scratch off the latex covering the play area. Each game has its own rules printed on the back — typically you match 3 symbols, find a winning number, or complete a pattern. Do not scratch the barcode or ticket number — the retailer needs those intact to validate a winning ticket.

Step 4 — Check if you won

Three ways to verify a winning NY scratch-off ticket:

• Read the ticket — winners are clearly marked with the prize amount on the play area.
• Scan with the official NY Lottery mobile app — instant verification.
• Hand it to a retailer — they will scan it and confirm the prize.

Step 5 — Claim your prize

Where you claim depends on the prize amount:

• $1 to $600 — claim at any NY Lottery retailer (cash on the spot, depending on retailer cash availability).
• $601 to $5,000 — claim at a NY Lottery Customer Service Center (Yonkers, Schenectady, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Garden City, Watertown, Hauppauge, Albany).
• Over $5,000 — claim at the NY Lottery's main office. You will need to complete IRS Form W-9 and federal/state taxes are withheld at source.

You have one year from the announced game-end date to claim a NY scratch-off prize. Unclaimed prizes go to NY State education funding.

Tips from ScratchOffsNY

• Sign the back of every winning ticket immediately — bearer instruments. Lost or stolen unsigned tickets cannot be recovered.
• Check remaining odds before buying — a game with all top prizes already claimed is a poor bet even if its overall odds look good.
• Set a budget — scratch-offs are entertainment, not income. The house edge averages 30%.
• Enter losing tickets in NY's Second Chance drawing — see our second chance guide.