Game of the Week: New York Numbers — How to Play and Win

Written by Max Watt

July 28, 2026

If you enjoy lottery draw games that run every day, and that offer modest prizes but much greater odds than Powerball, Mega Millions, or Millionaire for Life, then New York Numbers might be your new favorite game.

As one of the Empire State’s seminal draw games, New York Numbers provides the daily excitement needed to spruce up your day. If you’re considering playing Numbers, it’s worth looking at the game to see if it excites you. This week's Game of the Week article breaks down how New York Numbers works, when it draws and how the payouts stack up, helping you to see why it appeals to a different kind of player than the big multi-state jackpots.

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What Is New York Numbers?

New York Numbers is the Empire State lottery's Pick 3 game. It involves picking a three-digit number from 000 to 999 for modest but attainable prizes. It's often grouped together with its sister game, Win 4 (Pick-4), since both are digit-based draw games with the same core mechanics. The difference is simply how many digits you're picking:

• Numbers (Pick-3): Choose three digits, each from 000 to 999.
• Win 4 (Pick-4): Choose four digits, each from 0000 to 9999.

Both games cost as little as $0.50 per play (with $1 and higher options available), and both are drawn twice a day, which is a big part of their appeal.

Key Features of New York Numbers

Here are the main features of New York Numbers. Take a look and see if you like the feel of the game:

• Small prizes: The top prize for New York Numbers is $500 and is won with a $1 Straight bet.
• Modest Prices: Bets on a single line cost either $0.50 or $1 – no $5 ticket prices like Millionaire for Life and Mega Millions.
• Favorable Odds: The odds of winning $500 or $250 (the two top Numbers prizes) are 1 in 1,000, which is much more likely than 1 in several hundred million, as is the case with the three biggest draw games.
• Daily Drawings: Drawings take place every single day, ensuring you can enter regularly with a low cost per play.
• Customization: New York Numbers can be played in many ways, depending on the play type you go for, and whether you opt for a $0.50 or $1 wager.

Draw Times

New York Numbers holds two drawings every single day:

• Midday draw: 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time
• Evening draw: 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Ticket sales close a short window before each drawing, so if you're playing close to draw time, get your ticket order in early rather than cutting it close. Because there are two draws daily, players get 14 chances a week to play their numbers — far more frequent than a twice-weekly jackpot game.

How to Play

Playing New York Numbers is the same as many draw games, with some unique caveats that separate it from the pack.

1. Number Selection
   Pick a single three-digit number between 000 and 999.
2. Filling Out a Playslip
   Filling out a Numbers playslip comes down to two choices: your digits, and your wager type. The main wager types are:
• Straight: Your digits must match the winning numbers in the exact order drawn. Highest payout, hardest to hit.
• Box: Your digits just need to match in any order. Easier to hit, but offer smaller payouts.
• Straight/Box: A combination bet that splits your wager between a Straight and a Box play on the same numbers.
• Combination: Covers every possible order of your chosen digits as separate Straight bets, so you're covered no matter what order they're drawn in.
• Pair (Front Pair/Back Pair): This lets you bet on just the first two or last two digits matching.

While there is no extra "bonus" numbers to select or a specific jackpot combination, the rules can be trickier to follow due to the playslip options above, but also more customizable.

How Payouts Work

Payouts scale with both your wager type and your bet amount. On a standard $1 Straight play, a Pick-3 win pays out at odds of roughly 500 to 1, while Box plays pay less because there are more ways to win. Win 4 pays out at higher odds for a Straight win since there are more possible digit combinations, but the trade-off is a lower chance of hitting it.

The key thing that sets Numbers apart from big jackpot lotteries is that prizes are fixed, not pooled. Your payout doesn't shrink because more people played that day or grow because no one's won in a while — it's set in advance based on your wager type and bet size. That predictability is part of the game's draw for many regular players.

Play Responsibly

Numbers is a game of chance, and no strategy changes the fixed odds of each draw. Always set a budget before you play, treat lottery games as entertainment rather than an investment, and check your state's resources if lottery play ever stops feeling like fun. You must be 18 or older to purchase and redeem New York Lottery tickets.

Ready to Play Online?

If New York Numbers sounds like a game you would enjoy, then why not take part online? Jackpot.com provides direct and convenient courier services that allow you to order tickets from the comfort of your home, or on the go by using our app.

Otherwise, you can find New York Numbers playslips at any licensed lottery ticket retailer in the Empire State.