SPRING VALLEY, N.Y. – Thirty-nine-year-old Hector Recinos of Spring Valley claimed his top-prize winning $2,500 a Week for Life scratch-off ticket on Monday, October 28th at the New York Lottery’s Fishkill Customer Service Center. Rockland County’s newest Lottery millionaire credited his change of fortune to one spur-of-the-moment decision he made while washing his clothes at a neighborhood Laundromat.

“I decided to walk to the deli next door for a drink,” said the self-described handyman. The “once a week” Lottery player said he made yet another fateful decision once inside the Pit Stop Deli & Convenience on South Central Ave in Spring Valley. “I decided to get a Lottery ticket while I was there.”

Recinos said he picked his jackpot-winning $2,500 A Week For Life scratch-off game at random. He won the top prize by matching the number 8 printed on the top and bottom portions of the ticket to reveal the word “Life.” The father of one said he had to “check and re-check” his ticket to make sure he was reading it correctly.    

Recinos took advantage of a new prize payment option available to scratch-off jackpot winners that lets them receive the cash value of an annuity prize. Recinos opted to receive his prize in one lump sum payment totaling $1,965,573 (net $1,300,816). The $2,500 A Week For Life scratch-off game is designed to pay a minimum prize of $2,500,000 over 20 years with annual checks thereafter for life.

The entrepreneur plans to use his windfall to open his own business. A new house and car are on his wish list as well. 

Recinos is the 121^st New Yorker to claim a New York Lottery prize of $1,000,000 or more so far this year. He is the third Lottery player from Rockland County to win such a prize in recent months. Other winners include Victor Manuel Sandoval Ordonez of Monsey who won $1,000,000 on the Cash Blast scratch-off game in April and Renae Bradley of Spring Valley who claimed her $1,000,000 prize on the 20X The Cash scratch-off ticket in June.

The New York Lottery contributed $25,667,967.26 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts throughout Rockland 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.