For Immediate Release:                                         Contact: Communications Office

October 17, 2014                                                                   (518) 388-3415

                                                                                    Find us on Facebook and Twitter.

Orange County Man is Set for Life With $5,000,000 New York Lottery Win

NEW WINDSOR, N.Y. – Gary Gawricki, 59, of New Windsor is “set for life” now that he has won a top prize of $5,000,000 on the New York Lottery’s ever popular Set for Life scratch-off game.

Gawricki, a selling manager for Polo/Ralph Lauren, was buying gas on Saturday, September 20 at the Citgo station near Stewart Airport and decided to buy some scratch-off tickets too. He scratched them right away in the store and won $100. With his winnings, he bought another group of scratch-off tickets, including the Set for Life ticket, and took them home.

When he got home Gawricki scratched the Set for Life ticket, and knew right away that he had won big. “I knew I had won right away because I matched the two 10’s and it said ‘Life’ underneath.”

Gawricki then showed the ticket to his wife, but she didn’t believe that he had won because she thought you had to match three of the numbers. When Gawricki convinced her that it was only two numbers that had to match, he said they both were in “total shock.”

He chose to share his big Lottery win with his wife, Theresa, 56, and his daughter, Jillian, 20. Gary and Theresa will receive their Set for Life prize in annual payments of $123,500 per year. After required withholdings, they will each receive a net check totaling $81,732 every year for the rest of their lives. Jillian will receive annual payments of $13,000 per year (net $8,603) for the rest of her life.

When asked about his plans for the money Gawricki said, “I will probably pay off the house, pay some college expenses and then save for my retirement.”

   Gawricki claimed his ticket on September 22 at the Lottery’s Fishkill Customer Service

He is the 127th New Yorker to claim a New York Lottery prize of $1,000,000 or more so far this year.

The New York Lottery contributed $80,263,907.39 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts in Orange 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.

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.