Can You Buy A Lottery Ticket With A Credit Card In New York State?

New Yorkers have a shot at winning $112 million tonight with the Powerball drawing and $322 Million on Tuesday with the Mega Millions drawing. But, if you don't have any cash, can you buy a ticket using your credit card?

Does New York Allow People To Buy Lottery Tickets With A Credit Card?

You might be short on cash and want to buy some tickets with a credit card, but is it allowed?

According to Motley Fool, some states do not allow people to use their credit cards to purchase lottery tickets,

In many states, you aren't legally allowed to use a credit card to buy lottery tickets. There are laws that specifically prohibit merchants from accepting credit cards for these purchases.

New York is actually one state that does permit lottery ticket purchases with a credit card, according to Motley Fool. It's not a 100 percent guarantee that you can use your card to buy a ticket, as your credit card issuer may have a rule against it or they may treat it as a cash advance.

If you are already spending the money you won from tonight's drawing in your head, you might be wondering what the difference is (aside from the amount) between an annuity and a cash payout.

Here's the difference between an annuity payout and a cash payout:

The Mega Millions annuity is paid out as one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments. Each payment is 5% bigger than the previous one. This helps protect winners’ lifestyle and purchasing power in periods of inflation. A one-time, lump-sum payment that is equal to the cash in the Mega Millions jackpot prize pool.

The last Powerball winner in New York was a Malta man who won $94 million on September 16, 2020. The next Powerball drawing is tonight, March 25, 2023.

The last Mega Millions winner in New York was on January 17, 2023 - $20 million ($10.6 million cash) - with a ticket sold in the Bronx. The next drawing for the Mega Millions will be tonight, Tuesday, March 28, at 11 pm.

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