New York’s Numbers game is played twice a day and gives you the chance to win up to $500 just by matching a set of three digits between 000 and 999. Also known as Pick 3, there are a lot of options for different play types depending on whether you want to go in search of big cash prizes or favor better odds.
Draws take place at 2:30 PM ET (known as the Midday draw) and 10:30 PM ET (Evening). Tickets are available from NY Lottery retailers or you can order online using a lottery courier. Learn about how to play and the prizes you can win.
The table below shows the prizes that are available for each play type in Numbers. It is possible to win up to $500, if you play a Straight and wager $1. You can also see the odds for each play type.
You can receive a larger payout when you select a play type that is harder to win, such as a straight or combination. The following table shows the odds and prizes for each play type.
| Play Type | Example | 50¢ Play Payout | $1 Play Payout | Odds of Winning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight Match in exact order | ||||
| Straight | 123 | $250 | $500 | 1 in 1,000 |
| Box Match in any order | ||||
| 3-Way | 112 | $80 | $160 | 1 in 333.33 |
| 6-Way | 123 | $40 | $80 | 1 in 166.67 |
| Straight/Box Match in exact OR any order. Cost: $1 | Box Payout | Straight Payout | ||
| 3-Way | 112 | $80 | $330 | 1 in 1,000 & 1 in 333.33 |
| 6-Way | 123 | $40 | $290 | 1 in 1,000 & 1 in 166.67 |
| Pairs Match two in exact order. | ||||
| Front Pair | 12x | $25 | $50 | 1 in 100 |
| Back Pair | x23 | $25 | $50 | 1 in 100 |
| Combo All Straight combinations of a 3-digit number. Cost: $1.50-$6 depending on the numbers you choose. | ||||
| 3-Way | 112 | $250 | $500 | 1 in 333.33 |
| 6-Way | 123 | $250 | $500 | 1 in 166.67 |
The prizes and odds for the optional Instant Win game are shown below. If you add Instant Win, a series of numbers are generated at random on your ticket, accompanied by a prize amount. If any of these numbers match the numbers that you have picked, you win the associated prize amount.
| Payout | Odds of Winning |
|---|---|
| $500 | 1 in 30,000 |
| $100 | 1 in 4,800 |
| $40 | 1 in 960 |
| $25 | 1 in 400 |
| $20 | 1 in 200 |
| $10 | 1 in 100 |
| $5 | 1 in 50 |
| $2 | 1 in 20 |
| $1 | 1 in 10 |
The first step is to decide how you want to play the Numbers game. There are multiple options, like Straight, Box, Combination or Pair Play. You can find more details on each of these in our Play Types. You need to select this first as it dictates how many and what numbers you choose to enter
Choose Play Type
Next is to choose those all-important numbers for your play type. You can do this manually, choosing digits between 0 – 9, or ask for Quick Pick and they will be randomly chosen for you.
Select Numbers
Decide how much you want to wager on your play type. These isn’t a fixed ticket cost for the Numbers game and you have a choice between $0.50 or $1. If you choose the combination play type, it will cost you between $1.50 and $6 depending on your choice of numbers.
Pick your Wager
Finally select which draws you want to enter. You have the options between Midday, Evening or both, along with how many draws you would like to enter in a row – the default is just the next draw, but you can play up to 14 consecutive draws in a row if you wish. Ticket sales close at 2:15pm and 10:20pm.
Try and Advanced Draw
When you play a Straight, you need to match the winning numbers in the order they are drawn. For example, if you select 123, you need the winning line to be 123 in order to win.
If you play a Box, the winning numbers can match your numbers in any order and you will win a prize. You can choose to play a 3-Way Box or a 6-Way Box. The odds are better for the 6-Bay box but the prize is smaller. In a 3-Way box you select three numbers and two of them need to be identical, e.g. 112. You win if numbers 112, 121 or 211 are selected. With a 6-Way box you select three unique numbers, like 123. You then win if 123, 132, 231, 213, 312 or 321 are the ones selected.
You can play a Straight and a Box at the same time if you wish. Half of the cost goes on the Straight play and half on the Box. If you match the winning numbers exactly you win both, while you win just the Box prize if you match all the numbers but in the wrong order.
If you play a Combination, you enter every possible Straight from a set of three numbers. You can opt for either a 3-Way Combination or a 6-Way Combination. It is different to Box play because you have to pay for each combination, but you can win far bigger prizes.
Select a two-digit number and decide whether you want to try and match the front pair or the back pair. For example, if you pick 23 as the back pair, you win a prize if the last two digits of the winning number are 23, regardless of which number comes before them.
The New York Lottery uses draw machines and numbered balls to produce its results, rather than random number generators. Numbers draws are held alongside the draws for Win 4 and Take 5 in NY Lottery’s studio. They just take a few seconds from start to finish, but the machines and ball sets are regularly tested to ensure they comply with specified standards are results are always random.
Each of the three numbers is selected from a separate set of 0 to 9, with the draw machine split into three compartments and the winning balls propelled up different tubes. This means the same number can appear multiple times in the same draw.
A different ball set is used for the Midday draw to the Evening draw. There are also four machines on a random rotation, and the one that is used for the Midday draw is always excluded from the Evening draw on the same day.
To win a prize, you have to match the numbers as per the requirements of your wager type. All prize amounts are fixed, based on how you play and how much you wager.
Ticket sales close at 2:15 PM for the Midday draw, and 10:20 PM for the Evening draw.
You can enter your numbers up to seven days in advance – 14 consecutive drawings you play both the Day and Evening draw.
Unlike other games, you can choose your wager amount - $0.50 or $1.
You must be a minimum of 18 years old to play NY Numbers, or to claim a prize.
You won’t be able to claim a prize if your NY Numbers ticket is lost or stolen, but it could still be scanned if it is damaged. Make sure to sign the back of your tickets to prove they belong to you.