The lottery will select 764 couples, and opposite sex couples are eligible.
"The number of couples who want to marry on Sunday is more than the City Clerk's offices could possibly handle," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.
The state of New York on 24 June became the largest state by far to allow same-sex nuptials.
Same-sex marriage is legal in six states and Washington DC. Eight other states offer civil unions that are legally equivalent to marriage.
'Unforgettable moment'
New York's marriage lottery opened at noon on Tuesday and closes at the same time on Thursday, with winners to be notified a day later.
"We are going to make history on Sunday, with the eyes of the nation once again turning to New York City," Mr Bloomberg said.
Read more: BBC
Posts
