UTICA, N.Y. – Michael Doti, of Frankfort, Herkimer County won a $1,000,000 Powerball prize from the December 31, 2014 drawing.

Doti said he plays the Lottery regularly mostly scratch-off games, but will play Mega Millions and Powerball when the jackpot is over $120 million. On the day of the drawing, Doti was walking out of Smoker’s Choice at 50 Auert Avenue in Utica and decided to buy a Powerball ticket.

“I wasn’t planning on buying a ticket, but when I was walking out of the store I saw the Lottery sign.  The Powerball jackpot was at $120 million, and I decided to go back in and buy a ticket,” said Doti. 

The next day, New Year’s Day, Doti checked his numbers on his wife’s cell phone. “I saw I had one number match, then two, then three and thought I might really have something. Then when I saw I matched five numbers, I was in disbelief,” he said.

Doti claimed his prize on January 2, 2015 at the Lottery’s Syracuse Customer Service Center. 

The $1,000,000 Powerball second prize is paid out as a one-time lump sum payment. Doti will receive a net check totaling $661,800 after required withholdings. He said he plans to put his prize money toward a new house.

The winning numbers for the December 31 Powerball drawing were 17-27-37-40-53, Powerball 35.   

Doti is the first New Yorker to claim a New York Lottery prize of $1,000,000 or more in 2015.

The New York Lottery contributed $16,453,164.23 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts in Herkimer County during fiscal year 2013-2014.

About the New York Lottery

The New York Lottery continues to be North America’s largest and most profitable Lottery, contributing $3.17 billion in fiscal year 2013-2014 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.