In New York Take 5, all of the prize money is always guaranteed to be paid out! That means if no one matches every number to win the jackpot, the jackpot funds are split among winners of the second prize level. It is a twice-daily lottery, with draws taking place at 2:30 PM EST (the Midday draw) and 10:30 PM (the Evening draw). That means there’s plenty of chances to take part!
If you are lucky enough to win the top prize, you could land tens of thousands of dollars. Learn more about a straightforward game that costs just $1 per ticket and offers four different prize tiers. The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 8.77.
Prizes start from matching just two numbers - where you’ll be awarded a free Quick Pick for a future draw - and the jackpot can be won by matching all five numbers.
However, if nobody matches all the winning numbers, the jackpot money goes down to the tier below.
Half of the ticket revenue is put towards the prize pool for each draw, with a portion allocated to each tier. The table below shows how much goes to each category, the odds of winning, and the estimated payout.
| Numbers Matched | Prize Pool Percentage | Odds of Winning | Average Prize | No. Winners in Last Draw | Average No. Winners |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Match 5 |
20% of prize fund | 1 in 575,757 | $44,941.27 | 0 | 0.7 |
Match 4 |
30% of prize fund | 1 in 3,386 | $812.50 | 102 | 123 |
Match 3 |
50% of prize fund | 1 in 102 | $27.00 | 3,065 | 4,071.1 |
Match 2 |
N/A - Free Quick Pick | 1 in 9.62 | $1.00 | 35,828 | 43,342.4 |
If you add the Instant Win option, you can win any of the prizes shown below if your selected numbers match the numbers that have been randomly generated on your ticket. The table also displays the odds of those prize amounts being generated.
| 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 |
Firstly, you need to choose five numbers between 1 and 39. You can get a ‘Quick Pick’ on your ticket or select your own. Alternatively, you could use the helpful tools on our site including our own ‘Generator Machine’ and a full number frequency page!
Decide whether to enter the Midday draw, the Evening draw, or both, and how many consecutive drawings to play (you can play for up to seven consecutive days). The Midday draw takes place every afternoon at 2:30 PM EST, and the Evening draw is held every night at 10:30 PM EST. Get your lottery tickets online via a courier or at any local retailer.
You can replay an old ticket from the last 30 days if you are happy to go with the same selections again, and there is an option to add Instant Win for an extra $1.
Take 5 was originally an evolution of a prior game called Cash 40. In that game you had to pick numbers from 1 - 40 instead of 39. It then changed to the familiar number format we know today, rebranding as Take Five in 1992. At that time draws only took place on Fridays. It eventually expanded to a draw every night by 2000. In 2021, Take 5 draws started to take place twice a day!
Pick up your tickets by 2:15 PM for the Midday draw and 10:20 PM for the Evening draw.
Play your numbers up to seven days in advance, making it 14 consecutive drawings if you play both the Day and Evening draws.
The price of a Take 5 ticket is just $1!
You have to be at least 18 years old to play NY Take 5, or to claim a prize.
Lottery tickets are regarded as ‘bearer instruments’, so the only way to show you own a ticket is to sign the back of it. You won’t be able to claim a prize if you lose your ticket, but a damaged ticket may still be valid if enough of the information can be read.
