The New York Lottery turns 50 this weekend, celebrating a lasting legacy that has generated more than $150 billion in revenue to help New Yorkers and established one of the most recognizable brands in the country.

The New York Lottery celebrated its 50^th anniversary today at the Empire State Plaza in Albany, featuring a live televised drawing of the Midday NUMBERS and WIN 4 games hosted by Lottery spokeswoman Yolanda Vega, along with additional promotions and events.

“Over the past 50 years, the New York Lottery has established itself as an intrinsic part of the Empire State’s culture,” said Gweneth Dean, Director of the Commission’s Division of the Lottery, “We are proud of the Lottery’s record of unparalleled success and we look forward to continued growth and innovation.”

The New York State Constitution was amended in 1966 establishing the New York Lottery with all net proceeds “applied exclusively to or in aid or support of education.” At the time, New Hampshire was the only other state to offer a public lottery. On June 17, 1967, banks in New York City began selling $1 New York Lottery tickets for a monthly raffle. For every million tickets sold, 240 winners were drawn to share in $300,000 in prizes ranging from $150 to $100,000.

Since those early days, the New York Lottery has grown to be the most profitable lottery in North America. The New York Lottery has generated $154.1 billion in private revenue to help New Yorkers since 1967:

• Generating billions of dollars for public schools: More than 700 school districts across the state have directly benefited from more than $61.29 billion in aid to education. In the last fiscal year, the Lottery generated $3.27 billion in aid to education.
• Helping thousands of businesses grow: More than 17,000 retailers – many of which are small businesses – sell New York Lottery products. They earn commissions on Lottery sales, totaling $9.2 billion since 1967 and $460 million in just the past year. These commissions help establish the businesses in their respective communities and enable them to grow.
• Enriching millions of New Yorkers: Since 1967, millions of New Yorkers have shared in $83.6 billion in prizes, including more than 3,260 instant millionaires. In the last fiscal year alone, players shared in $4.6 billion, including 90 people who became millionaires thanks to the New York Lottery’s games.

The New York Lottery has become one of the most iconic brands in existence. New York Lottery slogans, including “All you need is a dollar and a dream,” “Hey, you never know” and “Yeah, THAT kind of rich” have become part of New Yorkers’ lexicon. The creative and innovative advertising campaigns for the New York Lottery have left lasting impressions and further solidified the Lottery’s role as a national leader.

Today, the New York Lottery offers nine separate draw games, including multi-state games that have reached the billion-dollar prize mark. There are approximately 40 instant “scratch-off” games introduced each year. Players may also enjoy continuous Quick Draw games at nearly 8,000 locations across the state.

High-resolution photos from today’s celebration may be downloaded here: https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/G5a7qZY7Kd

About the New York Lottery

The New York Lottery continues to be North America’s largest and most profitable Lottery, contributing $3.27 billion in fiscal year 2016-2017 to help support education in New York State. The Lottery’s contribution represents approximately 14 percent of total state education aid to local school districts.

New York Lottery revenue is distributed to local school districts by the same statutory formula used to distribute other state aid to education. It takes into account both a school district’s size and its income level; larger, lower-income school districts receive proportionately larger shares of Lottery school funding.

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