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May 23, 2013                                                                            (518) 388-3415

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Lottery Players from Queens and Long Island Share $34,500,000 in Jackpot Prizes

BRENTWOOD, N.Y. – The New York Lottery’s Yolanda Vega today presented three over-sized prize checks worth a collective $34,500,000 to New York’s most recent Lottery millionaires. The winners received their keepsake checks at the Salumed Pharmacy on Commack Road in Brentwood that sold a jackpot-winning Lotto ticket worth $26,500,000.

Suffolk County Man Just Happened to Choose Lotto and Happens to Win $26.5 Million

Fidencio Argueta of Brentwood, Suffolk County won a $26,500,000 Lotto prize from the April 10 drawing.  

Argueta said he plays a variety of Lottery games and just happened to choose Lotto on April 10.  He spent $5 and purchased 10 sets of numbers, all Quick Picks. Argueta purchased his ticket at Salumed Pharmacy at 753 Commack Road in Brentwood. He claimed his winning ticket on April 12 at the Lottery’s Garden City Customer Service Center.

Argueta chose the one-time lump sum payment for his jackpot prize. He will receive a net check totaling $12,335,306 after required withholdings. Argueta said he was very surprised that he had a set of winning numbers and never really thought he had a chance to win a jackpot prize. He plans to buy a new house, a new car and help out his family with his prize money.

The winning numbers from the April 10 Lotto drawing were 15-18-31-44-51-53. 

The New York Lottery contributed $219,832,350.09 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts throughout Suffolk County during fiscal year 2012-13.

Nassau County Woman is First Top Prize Winner on the Maximum Millions Scratch-Off Game

Leonarda Diaz, 47, of Franklin Square, Nassau County, won $5,000,000 on the Maximum Millions scratch-off game. Maximum Millions is a new Lottery scratch-off game launched April 2, and Diaz is the first top prize winner for this game.

On April 19, Diaz followed her normal routine and purchased a Lottery ticket on her way into work. She said she picked the Maximum Millions ticket because it was a new game.

Diaz said “I scratched the ticket in my car and when I realized I won, I had to pull over because I was shaking so bad. Then I called my sister.”

Diaz purchased her ticket on April 19 at the New Hyde Park Service Station, 1500 Jericho Turnpike in New Hyde Park. Diaz claimed the winning ticket later that day at the Lottery’s Garden City Customer Service Center. The top prize on the Maximum Millions game is paid in one lump sum payment. Diaz will receive a net check totaling $3,309,000 after required withholdings.

As for her plans for the money, Diaz said she knows exactly what she wants to do with her prize.  “I was planning on buying a house for my family. Now I can buy two houses close to each other for my parents, my children and my grandchildren.”

The New York Lottery contributed $111,742,026.75 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts throughout Nassau County during fiscal year 2012-2013.

Queens Man Wins Big on $3,000,000 Jackpot Scratch-Off Game 

Gary Hamilton, 44, of Cambria Heights, Queens County won a $3,000,000 jackpot prize on the $3,000,000 Jackpot scratch-off game.

Hamilton was driving home after picking up dinner for his family at Boston Market and said something told him to stop at the store and buy a scratch-off ticket. He has been playing the $3,000,000 Jackpot game for a few weeks and likes it because he “always seems to win a prize” when he plays. He showed the ticket to his wife when he got home, but wasn’t sure if it was real. Then Hamilton took the ticket to a store near his home to have it validated, and that’s when he knew he had won $3,000,000.

Hamilton purchased his ticket on May 2 at the 7-Eleven at 1755 Dutch Broadway in Elmont. He claimed his winning ticket on May 3 at the Lottery’s Garden City Customer Service Center.

Hamilton chose the one-time lump sum payment for his jackpot prize. He will receive a net check of $1,576,291 after required withholdings. Hamilton’s plans for his winnings include setting up trusts for his children’s college education and making some investments for the future.

The New York Lottery contributed $1,200,599,252.62 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts throughout the five boroughs during fiscal year 2012-2013. 

About the New York Lottery

The New York Lottery continues to be North America’s largest and most profitable Lottery, contributing $3.04 billion in fiscal year 2012-2013 to help support education in New York State.  The Lottery’s contribution represents 15 percent of total state education aid to local school districts. 

New York Lottery revenue is distributed to local school districts by the same statutory formula used to distribute other state aid to education.  It takes into account both a school district’s size and its income level; larger, lower-income school districts receive proportionately larger shares of Lottery school funding. 

About the New York State Gaming Commission

The New York State Gaming Commission regulates all aspects of gaming and gambling activity in the state, including horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering, class III Indian gaming, video lottery terminal facilities at race tracks, the state lottery and charitable gaming.