The New York Lottery’s Yolanda Vega and Lottery representative Jenny Garcia presented nine new Lottery millionaires with $13,000,000 in prize checks at the Lottery’s New York City Customer Service Center today. The winners, from Nassau, Suffolk,  Bronx, Kings, and Queens counties, claimed prizes on draw games and scratch-offs, including three on the $5,000,000 Multiplier scratch-off game.

Suffolk County Woman Wins $1,000,000 Scratch-off Prize

Maria Matthews Sanders of Commack, Suffolk County, won a $1,000,000 prize on the New York Lottery’s $5,000,000 Multiplier scratch-off game.

Matthews Sanders was waiting in line at the deli counter at the Stop & Shop on Jericho Turnpike in East Northport on January 20 and decided to buy a Lottery ticket from the dispenser to pass the time while waiting. She scratched her ticket in the deli line and immediately went numb. She then left the store when she realized she had won $1,000,000.

Matthews Sanders hid the ticket under her mattress and didn’t sleep for two days until she could claim it at the Lottery’s Garden City Customer Service Center on January 22.

The second prize on the $5,000,000 Multiplier scratch-off game is paid as a one-time lump sum. Matthew Sanders will receive $661,800 after required withholdings. She plans to use her winnings to go on vacation, save some for her children’s college education and continue to live a humble life. 

The New York Lottery contributed $198,702,595.17 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts throughout Suffolk County during fiscal year 2011-2012.

Family Members Split $1,000,000 Scratch-off Prize

Joanne Eggolt, Charles MacPherson and Catherine Eggolt of Wantagh, Nassau County, won a $1,000,000 prize on the $5,000,000 Multiplier scratch-off game. They claimed their prize at the Lottery’s Garden City Customer Service Center on January 10.

Joanne Eggolt is a frequent Lottery player. She stopped at her usual store, Wittenberg Enterprise on Wantagh Avenue in Levittown, to buy a Lotto ticket and then randomly selected a scratch-off ticket. Eggolt scratched the ticket in her car, and then went back into the store to check her ticket. “I thought I made a mistake. When I saw all the zeros, I ran out,” Eggolt said, “I didn’t believe it.”

The $1,000,000 prize on the $5,000,000 Multiplier scratch-off game is paid as a one-time lump sum. Eggolt is sharing her winnings with her husband, Charles MacPherson, and her mother, Catherine Eggolt. They will each receive $220,600 after required withholdings. They plan to use their prize money to fix up their house and save for retirement.

The New York Lottery contributed $103,332,229.34 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts throughout Nassau County during fiscal year 2011-2012.

Quick Pick Ticket Proves Lucky For Bronx Powerball Player

Maritza Colon of the Bronx won a $1,000,000 second prize from the February 2 Powerball drawing.

Colon was having her car serviced at a gas station when she went into the store to check her tickets from the previous night’s Powerball drawing. She did not understand what was displayed on the self-scanner, so she handed her ticket to the man behind the counter. He told her she won $1,000,000. “I was shocked,” the frequent lottery player said, “I thought it was a joke. You don’t expect to win.” Colon said she always plays Quick Picks because those numbers seem to be luckier than the numbers she chooses.

Colon purchased her winning ticket on January 31 at Hari Krishna Stationery Store on Bartow Avenue in the Bronx. She claimed her prize on February 4 at the Lottery’s New York City Customer Service Center.

The $1,000,000 Powerball second-prize is paid as a one-time lump sum. Colon will receive a net check totaling $623,040 after required withholdings. Colon said she would probably use some of her Lottery prize to fix up her house, but said, “I haven’t gotten that far yet.”

Loyal Sweet Million Player Wins $1,000,000

Joseph Pisarra of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn won a $1,000,000 jackpot prize from the January 28 Sweet Million drawing.

Pisarra said he’s been playing Sweet Million, “ever since it came out,” because he likes “the simple games.” Pisarra bought his ticket on January 27 at the neighborhood pub where he works, Pam’s Bar on 5^th Avenue in Brooklyn. He was at the pub when he realized he was a $1,000,000 winner. “There were a lot of drinks on me,” he said “and there will be plenty more.”

Pisarra claimed his prize on January 30 at the Lottery’s New York City Customer Service Center.

 The Sweet Million top prize is paid as a one-time lump sum. Pisarra will receive a net check of $623,040 after required withholdings. Pisarra says he has no plans for the prize money other than to buy his friends lunch and continue to live a simple life.

Bronx Woman Wins Top Prize on Her Favorite Scratch-off Game

Stevens was surrounded by people when she scratched her $1,000,000 ticket. “I wanted to cry, but I kept calm,” she said, “everyone wanted to look at the ticket, I was very tense.” Stevens kept her winning ticket in a safety deposit box until she was ready to claim it on January 11. She never opened the box during that time, but frequently looked at pictures of the ticket.

 Stevens purchased her winning ticket at Shaizal Corporation on Cortlandt Street in Manhattan.

The top prize on the New York Poker scratch-off game is paid as an annuity. Stevens will receive 20 annual payments of $31,152 after required withholdings. She plans to pay off her mortgage and help her son pay for college with her winnings.

First 50X the Money Scratch-off Winner Wants to Keep it Simple

Oral Lindo of Brooklyn won the $3,000,000 top prize on the 50X the Money scratch-off game.

Lindo is a waiter at the Brooklyn Bridge Marriott where he witnessed Garina Fearon, the Rikers Island guard who won a $54 million Mega Millions jackpot in 2010, receive her jackpot check from Lottery personality Yolanda Vega. “Now it’s my turn,” Lindo said.

Lindo bought two of the new 50X the Money tickets at Echavarria Foods Corporation on DeKalb Avenue in Brooklyn on his day off saying, “I always try my luck with the new games.” He scratched the tickets at home and realized he had a $3,000,000 winner. “I couldn’t believe it. I thought my eyes were deceiving me. Then I just sat down, looked at the ticket and smiled,” Lindo said. He waited for his wife to get home from work and told her, “Let me take you out to a movie now that we have some extra money.”

Lindo claimed his prize on January 14 at the Lottery’s New York City Customer Service Center.

 The top prize on the 50X the Money scratch-off game is paid as an annuity. Lindo will receive 20 annual payments of $93,456 after required withholdings. He plans to keep working and playing the Lottery. His immediate plans for his prize money include buying a house in Brooklyn and another in his native Jamaica. “I want to keep it simple,” he said.

Queens Man Will Use Scratch-Off Prize to Follow his Dreams

David Shaffer of Flushing, Queens County, won the $5,000,000 top prize on the $5,000,000 Multiplier scratch-off game. He bought the ticket at Freshmart on Union Street in Flushing on a morning coffee break, saying “anything that has the word multiplier in it means more money for me.” He bought two of the same tickets. The first was a non-winner; the second was worth $5,000,000. 

Shaffer has been a podiatrist in Queens for 30 years. He is also a fledgling songwriter who just sold his first song. “Looks like 2013 is going to be my year,” Shaffer said. He scratched the ticket while walking back to his office, but upon seeing the matching numbers on the last line of the ticket, he turned around and went back to the store to verify it was a winner. “I put the ticket in my pocket and finished the day. It actually went pretty fast,” Schaffer said.

Shaffer claimed his prize on January 24 at the Lottery’s Garden City Customer Service Center.

The top prize on the $5,000,000 Multiplier scratch-off game is paid as a one-time lump sum. Shaffer will receive $3,115,200 after required withholdings. “This is a life changer,” Shaffer said. He plans to continue working, but will devote more time to his song-writing career.

The New York Lottery contributed $1,110,484,399.89 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts throughout the five boroughs during fiscal year 2011-2012.

About the New York Lottery

The New York Lottery continues to be North America’s largest and most profitable Lottery, contributing nearly $2.9 billion in fiscal year 2011-2012 to help support education in New York State.  The Lottery’s contribution represents nearly 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.