For Immediate Release:                                        Contact: Communications Office

January 14, 2014                                                             (518) 388-3415

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SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The New York State Lottery’s recent massive search for “Missing Millionaires” in the New York City Metro Region has resulted in its first found Lottery millionaire.

An individual who bought a $1 million Powerball winning ticket at Star Wines and Liquors, 475 Route 17M, in Monroe, Orange County came forward on January 2 to claim the ticket before the January 5, 2014 deadline.

“We were urging players to check and double-check their tickets one last time for the chance to claim one million dollars, and are very pleased that our efforts to find this missing Lottery millionaire have paid off,” said Gardner Gurney, Acting Director of the Division of the Lottery. “Now the Lottery will go through its standard review process and we expect to make a public announcement identifying the new millionaire in the near future. Our search for additional ‘missing millionaires’ continues.”

The winning Powerball ticket matched five of the six numbers from the January 5, 2013 Powerball drawing: 26 – 30 – 49 – 51 – 54, missing only the Powerball number of 25.

The next ticket, due to expire on February 2, 2014, is a $1 million Powerball prize.  The ticket was for the February 2, 2013 Powerball drawing, and was sold at C & C Discount, 221 East 167^th Street in the Bronx.

There are currently eight New York Lottery draw game players holding unclaimed jackpot tickets of $1 million or more that will expire in 2014.

The Lottery encourages everyone who bought a New York Lottery draw game ticket, to check their old tickets again, as they could be holding a jackpot winner. Unclaimed tickets expire one year after the game’s drawing.

As is always the case, in the event the prize is not claimed by the deadline, the prize money will be returned to the prize pool for future winners. It is used to subsidize prizes for jackpots, promotions and/or special one-time games.

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.