For Immediate Release:                                      Contact:  Communications Office

June 6, 2014                                                                        (518) 388-3415

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SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Sharon Kinney, of Herkimer, won a $1,000,000 New York Lottery prize on the 7*11*21 scratch-off game. She claimed her winning ticket on May 12 at the Lottery’s Schenectady Customer Service Center.

Kinney said she buys New York Lottery scratch-off tickets “a couple of times a week,” and occasionally buys draw game tickets.

Kinney received her winning ticket as part of a Mother’s Day gift from her daughter.  Her daughter went to the same store Kinney goes to to buy her tickets, Smoker Friendly on North Main Street in Herkimer. The daughter bought two scratch-off tickets the day before Mother’s Day: the Lottery’s 2014 Happy Mother’s Day ticket and a 7*11*21 ticket. 

On Mother’s Day morning, Kinney’s daughter gave her the tickets.  Kinney scratched the Happy Mother’s Day ticket first and won $5.  Then she scratched the 7*11*21 ticket, and knew right away she had won big when she saw the word “jackpot” on the ticket. 

Kinney said she ran upstairs to show her daughter the winning ticket, who didn’t believe it at first.  Then she waited for her husband to come home to show him the ticket.  He thought it was a mistake, and said he really didn’t believe it was true until he came with his wife to the Lottery’s Schenectady Customer Service Center to claim the ticket.

When asked what she did on the rest of her Mother’s Day, Kinney said she just carried on as usual because she had a whole group of people coming to her house for dinner.  She did not share her good news with any of her guests saying she just wanted to have time to let everything sink in.

When asked if she considered herself a lucky person, Kinney said resoundingly, “Yes!”

Kinney chose to receive her $1,000,000 7*11*21 prize as a one-time lump sum payment. She will receive a net check totaling $502,968 after required withholdings. Kinney said her plans for the money are to save for college for her children, pay some bills and make some investments for the future.

She is the 74th New Yorker to claim a New York Lottery prize of $1,000,000 or more so far this year.

The New York Lottery contributed $16,453,164.23 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts in Herkimer County during fiscal year 2013-2014.

About the New York Lottery

The New York Lottery continues to be North America’s largest and most profitable Lottery, contributing $3.17 billion in fiscal year 2013-2014 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.