GREENWICH, N.Y. – The Cumberland Farms on State Route 29 in Greenwich, Washington County has earned the distinction of being the Capital Region’s first “Lucky Lottery Store” of 2014. The local landmark earned the designation for its part in selling a $3,000,000 top prize winner on the eponymous Three Million scratch-off game to William Bracken, a retired artist who splits his time between Florida and New York.  

 

Bracken said it was during a visit with his son and sister in Washington County last fall that he became an overnight Lottery millionaire. “We just decided to go out one night and buy some scratch-off tickets,” he said.

 

Bracken said he and his son were scratching their respective tickets inside Cumberland Farms last October when he noticed a match on the number 19 on the top and bottom portions of his Three Million instant game and scratched further to reveal the words “Jackpot – 3 Million” printed below. “I asked my son to scan the ticket and I went outside for some fresh air,” said the overwhelmed winner.  Bracken said he returned to Florida “to think things over” before coming back to the Capital Region in late November to claim his ticket at the Lottery’s Customer Service Center in Schenectady.

 

Bracken opted to receive his $3,000,000 prize in a single, lump sum payment totaling $2,520,000 (net $1,667,736). His plans for the prize include paying off his mortgage, investing in real estate and deciding on a color for the new Mini Cooper he plans to buy.

 

Other area Lottery millionaires who purchased their jackpot winning tickets at an area Cumberland Farms include Magen Mac David of Queensbury who claimed a top prize on the Win $1,000 A Week For Life game she purchased in 2012 at the Cumberland Farms on Quaker Rd. in Queensbury, and Janet Saul of East Nassau who purchased her $1,000,000-winning Deal or No Deal scratch-off game in 2007 at Cumberland Farms' store on Miller Hill Rd. in Sand Lake.

 

The New York Lottery contributed $13,231,187.76 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts throughout Washington County during fiscal year 2012-13.

 

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.