The New York Lottery has begun offering Monday night Powerball draws to its range, giving its players more opportunity to win big prizes.
The first draw took place this week as the lottery piloted its latest addition, which also takes place on Wednesday and Saturday nights.
In the fiscal year 2020-21, a Malta man won a $94.8m jackpot prize. In the same period, 19 New York players won prizes of $1m or more, 132 winners of more than $50,000 and 10,826 winners of $100 or more.
The expansion comes despite revenue from the Empire State’s lottery and its nine racetracks with video lottery terminals (VLTs) declining in 2020 by 19% when compared to the previous year’s figures.
Brad Maione, a spokesman for the state Gaming Commission, said that the poor financial outlook was due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdowns and uncertainty that came with it.
He told USA Today at the time: “The global pandemic disrupted businesses in every sector of the economy, including casinos where lottery sales are made.
“While these casinos were closed for a period to keep New Yorkers safe, they are now open, and we expect lottery sales to come back as the economy rebounds overall. The Gaming Commission will continue to work with its partners to help keep customers safe.”
The Power Play add-on feature is also available for an additional $1 per play to multiply non-jackpot prizes.
