The New York Lottery offers players chances at astronomical paydays, though the odds of doing are also astronomically slim. Still, the story of a recent Dutchess County lottery winner proves that if you don’t play, your chances of winning are absolutely zero.
The Hyde Park resident bought a $30 instant-win ticket and found a $10 million prize on the card. Although news of claiming the prize can be tempting for other New Yorkers, it’s good to keep in mind the chances of replicating the win are actually worse now.
Dutchess County lottery winner defies the odds
According to Joe Lombardi of the Daily Voice, Joanne Massarelli bought her winning 200X scratch-off card at Smokes 4 Less on Albany Rd. in Hyde Park. She claimed her prize on Thursday, June 17. Massarelli opted for the lump sum, which came to $6.51 million after taxes.
A press release from the NY Lottery did not disclose what she plans to do with the money. Regardless of what she does with her millions, Smokes 4 Less won’t really share in her good fortune. Although the NY Lottery does offer one of the nation’s top standard sales commissions at 6% on each ticket sold, bonuses for selling winning tickets are very limited in NY.
NY retailers who sell a Mega Millions or Powerball ticket that wins the progressive jackpot get a $10,000 bonus. Otherwise, there are no such bonuses for retailers. In other states with lotteries, retailers do get such bonuses. For example, a retailer in New Jersey got a $10,000 bonus for selling a Pick-6 ticket worth $9.2 million in May.
Still, Massarelli has the potential to spread a lot of love if she so chooses due to her windfall. Other NY Lottery players shouldn’t count on a similar scenario befalling them. That’s especially true when playing 200X.
Top prize odds are even longer after this win
The lottery listed the odds of winning one of these $10 million prizes playing 200X at 1 in 3,501,640. The past tense of that sentence is very important. That’s because those were the odds when the game cards first became available. At that time, there were five such prizes out there.
Massarelli is now the second person to claim one of those five rewards. With only three remaining now, the odds are even longer. However, it’s not boom or bust in this game. Prizes of 13 other denominations remain, starting at $50 and going up to $100,000.
Over two million of the $50 prizes are still available, at original odds of 1 in 5.71. As the game cards are $30 a pop, you’d nearly double your money if you claim such a prize. Additionally, non-winning scratchers are eligible for entry in a bi-monthly drawing for a $5,000 prize on the NY Lottery’s mobile app.
So, while you probably won’t hit it big like Massarelli, playing 200X can still provide some enjoyment. Just keep in mind that it’s more fun if you play responsibly.