The Official Lottery Website

The official lottery website offers a full range of games, including online and mobile options. Players must be 18 years or older to play. Players can find the latest winning numbers and jackpots on this page, as well as information on claiming prizes and checking past results.

In the early 1800s, gambling was a taboo practice in most American states. But as states looked for ways to balance their budgets that didn’t enrage an anti-tax electorate, lotteries emerged. They promised to give away a large jackpot to a small number of winners. This promise, combined with the state’s desire to fund education without incurring a tax increase, created an extremely popular and profitable business model for the lotteries.

Lottery supporters often argue that the money that is spent on tickets benefits state programs, especially public schools. But Cohen writes that the data shows this argument is flawed on multiple levels. For one thing, it overstates the amount of money that lottery profits actually contribute to state coffers. Moreover, it fails to take into account the way that lottery sales fluctuate in response to economic cycles. They tend to rise when incomes decline and unemployment is high, while they fall as a percentage of overall state revenues.

In addition to taxes, New York state requires that the lottery commission withhold a portion of any winnings that exceed $600. It will also deduct unpaid child support or public assistance expenses from any winner’s prize.