The New York Lottery’s Gretchen Dizer and John Schnurr today presented ceremonial prize checks to two new Lottery millionaires from Locke and Clay. Both lucky Lottery players won their prizes on scratch-off games. Wendy Caza of Cayuga County won $5,000,000 on the Maximum Millions scratch-off game and Gary Center of Onondaga County won $1,000,000 on the Black Diamond Riches scratch-off game.

Frequent Scratch-off Player Wins $5,000,000 Lottery Prize

Wendy Caza, 50, of Locke, Cayuga County, won a $5,000,000 top prize on the Maximum Millions scratch-off game.

Caza said she plays the $20 scratch-off games because “they have better odds of winning big and better payouts.” 

The morning of August 7, Caza purchased four scratch-offs, two of which were Maximum Millions games. She won $50 on one of the Maximum Millions tickets, so she went back to the store later that day to buy another.  Caza scratched the ticket at home after work. 

“I was crying and laughing. I ran to the neighbor’s to have them check it,” she said about realizing she was a $5,000,000 winner.

Caza went to her usual retailer, Modern Market on East Cayuga Street in Moravia, to verify the ticket. She was surrounded by other store regulars who heard the good news and spread it all over social media. One of Caza’s three children called her and asked if what was on Facebook was true. She said she also received phone calls from several of the people she cleans houses for and had to assure them that she was not quitting.

“I clean houses for mostly elderly people. They’re my best friends. They need me and I need them,” she said.

Caza will receive her prize in one lump sum payment totaling $3,309,000 after required withholdings.  She said she plans to “keep playing scratch-offs” with her Lottery prize.

The New York Lottery contributed $14,242,610.34 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts throughout Cayuga County during fiscal year 2012-13.

Grocery Shopping Turns into $1,000,000 Win for Clay Lottery Player

Gary Center, 49, of Clay, Onondaga County, won a $1,000,000 Lottery prize on the Black Diamond Riches scratch-off game.

Center and his wife were in the Price Chopper on East Circle Drive in Cicero to buy lobsters for dinner, when he decided to buy a Lottery ticket from the vending machine.   The Black Diamond Riches ticket caught his eye because his son told him that he’d never win on that ticket. 

While his wife finished shopping, Center went to his car and scratched off his Lottery tickets.  He scratched off two $10 non-winning tickets before scratching the $5 Black Diamond Riches ticket. Center said he couldn’t believe it when he saw the word “jackpot.” 

As he saw his wife coming toward the car, he shouted to her “Hurry up!”  His wife didn’t believe him at first because Center is known to be a bit of a prankster.  It wasn’t until she handled the ticket herself and saw the word “jackpot” that she accepted it was real.  Center also told his two sons about his good fortune, but they didn’t believe him either until he sent them a picture of the ticket.

Center, a manager at an ethanol plant, chose to receive his payment in one lump sum of $830,000 (net $549,294).  He said he plans to help his sons with his Lottery prize.  He would also like to take a trip to Aruba in the wintertime with his wife.  They honeymooned there 20 years ago and haven’t been back since.

The New York Lottery contributed $105,227,174.87 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts throughout Onondaga 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.