You have a dollar and a dream and you have purchased a ticket for the big Powerball jackpot but the lottery warns that there are several things you need to do to protect yourself.
For all Lottery games, the New York Lottery urges players to follow this ticket safety checklist:
• Sign your ticket upon receipt.
• Check before leaving the store to ensure you have the correct ticket(s) and all corresponding receipts.
• Never hand a lottery ticket to anyone without knowing how much it's worth. (If you have to give a ticket to anyone to assess its value or collect winnings, sign the ticket first and always keep your ticket in view.)
• Use the ticket checker now available at all retail locations statewide to determine if you have a winning ticket before handing it to a store clerk for payment.
• Check your numbers against the Lottery's official winning numbers posted at more than 17,500 retail locations statewide, in newspapers and online at nylottery.ny.gov.
• Read the back of your ticket(s) to learn about alternative methods for claiming your prize (e.g. visit your regional Lottery customer service center or mail it in). Keep all Lottery tickets in a safe, secure place as the Lottery is not responsible for lost or stolen tickets.
• All Lottery Instant Game prizes must be claimed within one year from the announced end of game.
• All prizes for a Lottery drawing must be claimed within one year from the date of the drawing.
• Notify the Lottery immediately if you think your ticket has been mishandled.