Take 5 Odds and Prizes
Here’s what to remember in regards to odds and prizes when playing NY Take 5:
- Prizes are paid out on a pari-mutuel basis, meaning the individual prize amounts can vary between draws.
- The prize pool is made up of 50% of the ticket revenue from each draw, with a certain percentage of this allocated to each prize tier.
- If the jackpot is not won, the prize money allocated to this tier is distributed to winners in the category below.
- The lowest prize is won by matching two numbers. If you do this, you win a free Quick Pick ticket for a subsequent Take 5 draw.
The table below shows what percentage of the prize pool goes into each tier, the estimated amount that each winner will receive, and the odds of winning each prize.
| Prize Tier | Odds of Winning | Prize Fund Percentage | Estimated Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| Match 5 | 1 in 575,757 | 20% | $57,575.70 |
| Match 4 | 1 in 3,386 | 30% | $508.02 |
| Match 3 | 1 in 102 | 50% | $25.66 |
| Match 2 | 1 in 9.62 | N/A | Free Quick Pick |
Although it offers the lowest cash prize per winner, the Match 3 tier receives the biggest proportion of the prize pool as there are likely to be many more winning tickets at this level.
The Match 4 and Match 5 tiers offer much bigger cash amounts but there are fewer winners, so they don’t require as much of the prize pool.
How to Claim Prizes
- Depending on how much you win, how you claim your prize differs.
- Prizes up to and including $600 can be claimed from retailers or from one of the New York Lottery Customer Service Centers.
- Prizes over $600 require you to visit a Customer Service Center or mail your ticket, along with a completed claim form, to the New York Lottery at PO Box 7533, Schenectady, NY 12301-7533.
- Redeem a Quick Pick free play by visiting any licensed lottery retailer in New York.
- In all cases, you should sign the back of your ticket before beginning the claim process. You have one year from the date of the draw to claim your prize. Any money left unclaimed after this period will be returned to the prize pool or will be used to subsidize special events or draws in the future.
Federal Taxes on Cash Prizes
All prizes over $5,000 are subject to federal and state taxes, whether you live in New York or not. Residents of Yonkers and New York City will also have to pay a local tax on their winnings.