The New York Lottery’s Yolanda Vega today presented $3,00,000 to Western New York’s newest Lottery millionaires.  The winners received their ceremonial prize checks at the Lottery’s Customer Service Center in Buffalo.

Batavia Couple Wins $1,000,000 Jackpot on Lottery Scratch-off Ticket

Twenty-Seven-year-old Marquele Tomlin of Batavia has been playing the Lottery since he turned 18. The auto shop body work expert said he never won more than $50, but kept playing because he thought, “Maybe someday I’d have a day like this.” Tomlin and his girlfriend of eight years, Amber Blackshear, recently claimed a $1,000,000 top prize on the $1,000,000 Double Sided Dollars scratch-off game. Tomlin purchased the couple’s ticket during a quick stop at their local Rite Aid to wire some money to his mother.

“I had a $20 winner that I exchanged for 10 $1 tickets and two $5 tickets,” he said. “I brought the tickets home and we scratched them just standing around the kitchen Island. She ended up with the big one.”

“We brought it back to the store to be sure and even the machine said ‘Big Winner,’” Blackshear said. “I got all excited; maybe too excited because Marquele told me I had to calm down.”

Blackshear, 23, said she believes fate had a hand in the couple’s windfall. “After eight years together, we broke up for a while. The day we won was our first day back together as a couple.”

The couple opted to receive their prize as a one-time lump sum payment in the amount of $400,000 each.  They will each receive a net check totaling $268,720 after required withholdings.

The two plan to use their respective shares of the prize to invest in a house for their growing family, which includes two toddlers. “I’d like one with a pool,” said Blackshear.

When asked what it felt like to be a Lottery Millionaire Tomlin said simply, “Ahhhhhhhhh. We did it!”

Blackshear said the win is a dream come true. “Now we can do anything as individuals or as a family,” she said. “It’s a feeling you can’t explain.”

The winning ticket was purchased at Rite Aid at 601 East Main Street in Batavia.

The New York Lottery contributed $13,874,189 in Lottery Aid to Education to school districts in Genesee County during fiscal year 2016-2017.

Buffalo Woman wins $1,000,000 Jackpot on the Popular Win $1,000 a Week for Life scratch-off Game

Sixty-one-year-old Antoinette Anderson of Buffalo never expected to win the Lottery, but believes she has earned her $1,000,000 Lottery win.  Anderson won the top prize on the Win $1,000 A Week for Life scratch-off ticket and says she is very deserving of the prize.

“I’m a giver,” she said. “I have sacrificed a lot. I have always helped others any way I can without expecting anything in return, and I have been a good mother to my three boys. I deserve this,” said the former community service trainer for the disabled.

Anderson said she was in the process of picking up her niece from school when she turned into the 7-Eleven on Genesee Street to pass the time before school let out.

“They didn’t have the $5 ticket I wanted at the counter, but I saw it in the vending machine. I got my ticket and one of the $1,000 A Week for Life tickets.  I went back out to my car and didn’t win a thing on the $5 one, but then I scratched the Win for Life.  I saw the word ‘Life’ two times and said to myself, don’t get too excited, they always have Life on there in a couple of places, but I kept going and saw a third Life. It took my breath away,” she said.

Anderson chose to receive her prize as a one-time lump sum payment.  She will receive a net check totaling $521,948 after required withholdings.

Anderson said she looks forward to buying a house after renting for so long. “I’m a great decorator,” she said. “I have decorated houses for so many of my friends, but never my own. Now, I won’t have to ask permission to make changes to my home.  If I want to do something, I can.”

The winning ticket was purchased at 7-Eleven at 2275 Genesee Street in Buffalo.

Amherst Man wins $1,000,000 Powerball Second Prize on Numbers he Chose at Random

Fifty-year-old Kenneth Loncke of Amherst won the $1,000,000 second prize from the August 23, 2017 drawing using numbers he chose at random.  Loncke said he purchased one set of numbers for the drawing because he was feeling lucky.

“I was feeling lucky that day so I decided to buy a Powerball ticket,” explained Loncke.  “I just chose the numbers at random.”

The winning numbers for the August 23, 2017 Powerball drawing were 6-7-16-23-26 Powerball 4.

“I must have checked my numbers 10 times,” explained Loncke.  “of course I was very happy, but also a little nervous.”

The $1,000,000 Powerball second prize is paid out as a one-time lump sum payment.  Loncke will receive a net check totaling $671,800 after required withholdings.

“I will use the winnings to set up my kids for college.  I’ll also plan a vacation.  There are a lot of places I want to go,” said Loncke.

The winning ticket was purchased at the Kwik Fill at 3724 Harlem Road in Cheektowaga.

The New York Lottery contributed $196,702,090 in Lottery Aid to Education to school districts in Erie County during fiscal year 2016-2017.

About the New York Lottery

The New York Lottery continues to be North America’s largest and most profitable Lottery, contributing $3.27 billion in fiscal year 2016-2017 to help support education in New York State. The Lottery’s contribution represents approximately 14 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.