CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. – John Dove, of Cheektowaga, finally won $1,000,000 on the New York Lottery’s Win $1,000 A Week For Life scratch-off game after consistently playing the game for more than 20 years.

Dove said he plays different Win For Life scratch-off games regularly but particularly likes the Win $1,000 A Week For Life scratch-off game. Dove said, “I picked out this game one day and have stuck with it for 20-plus years.”

On September 25, Dove was on his way out to dinner with a friend and stopped at the Tops Friendly Market on Union Road in Cheektowaga to buy his winning Lottery ticket. “My friend was in a hurry to go to dinner and didn’t want me to stop to buy my ticket, but I did it anyway,” said Dove.

Later that evening, Dove said he decided to scratch his ticket. “I was in disbelief. I can’t tell you how many times I looked at the ticket. For about four or five days, my heart was in my throat,” said Dove.

After waiting several more days, Dove came to the Lottery’s Buffalo Customer Service Center on October 7 to claim his jackpot prize. He has chosen to receive his Win $1,000 A Week For Life prize in annual payments of $52,000. After required withholdings, he will receive a net check totaling $34,414 every year for the rest of his life.

When asked to describe how it feels to be a new Lottery millionaire Dove said, “It’s hard to describe how it feels to win the Lottery. But I’ve thought about my plans, and I want to retire early and use some of my winnings to travel and play more golf.”

He is the 125th New Yorker to claim a New York Lottery prize of $1,000,000 or more so far this year.

The New York Lottery contributed $193,794,512.82 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts in Erie County during fiscal year 2014-15.

About the New York Lottery

The New York Lottery continues to be North America’s largest and most profitable Lottery, contributing $3.11 billion in fiscal year 2014-2015 to help support education in New York State.  The Lottery’s contribution represents 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.