Popular NY Lottery Rep Retires…Who’s Next?

The New York Lottery reports that iconic Draw Team member Yolanda Vega has retired after 32 years.

Born in Brooklyn, NY on Dec. 10, 1955, Yolanda started out as a bookkeeper upon graduating from Hunter College. She met her husband Miguel Vega during her weekend travels to Albany in 1986 and auditioned for New York Lottery hostess in 1990. Yolanda got hired by the New York Lottery, despite not thinking she would get the job, on Feb. 5, 1990. She retired on Jan. 25, 2022.

Known for her trademark introduction “I’m Yooooolaaaaaaaanda Vega!”, she was the face of the New York Lottery for so many years, and a pop culture icon.

Who Will Take Over for the New York Lottery Drawing Now?

We asked the Hudson Valley who should take Yolanda Vegas' place as the face of the new New York Lottery. Opinions were mixed. Below is a list of possible replacements as suggested by the Hudson Valley:

George Takei

Anthony Fauci

Don King

Snoop Dogg

Vana White

Beetlejuice

So many suggestions, but surprisingly, many in the Hudson Valley thought that I should actually audition for the job! After sleeping on it for the night, I decided, why the hell not. Check out my audition video below.