BUFFALO, N.Y. – Theresa Dybalski, of Lackawanna, Erie County won one million dollars on the New York Lottery’s $1,000,000 Winner scratch-off game.

Dybalski, a retired insurance company employee, said she received her jackpot winning ticket in a birthday card from her girlfriend.  

“I was having lunch with some friends to celebrate my birthday, and one of my friends included this Lottery ticket in my birthday card,” said Dybalski. 

Dybalski said she buys Lottery scratch-off games regularly for herself because they are “challenging and entertaining.”

When she got home, Dybalski scratched off the ticket. “I was scratching and scratching and had nothing until I got to the last box in the last row and saw a match on the number four and the words Jackpot, $1 Million.” She said her first reaction was, “Is this possible?”

Dybalski said she can think of no reason why she of all people would be singled out to win a $1,000,000 Lottery prize. “I don’t know if it was a fluke or fate that this ticket fell in to my hands,” she said. “Maybe some higher power thought it was time for something big to happen to me and my family.”

Dybalski claimed her prize on March 12, 2015 at the Lottery’s Buffalo Customer Service Center.

Dybalski chose to receive her prize as a one-time lump sum payment totaling $522,822 after required withholdings. She said she plans to share some of her prize with her family and is considering “addressing a couple of issues around the house.”

   She is the 34th New Yorker to claim a New York Lottery prize of $1,000,000 or more so far this year.

The New York Lottery contributed $159,330,799.28 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts in Erie County during fiscal year 2013-2014.

Robert Leubner, of Le Roy, Genesee County won $1,000,000 on the New York Lottery’s Cash Extravaganza scratch-off game.

On Leubner’s Cash Extravaganza ticket, he matched the number three to the winning number of three resulting in a top prize win of $1,000,000. He said that when he realized he had hit the jackpot he was excited and very happy about the win.

Leubner purchased his ticket at the Sunoco at 283 North Street and East Avenue in Caledonia.  He claimed his ticket on March 9.

Leubner chose to receive his prize as a one-time lump sum payment totaling $529,440 after required withholdings. He is the 32nd New Yorker to claim a New York Lottery prize of $1,000,000 or more so far this year.

The New York Lottery contributed $14,467,106.30 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts throughout Genesee 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 $3.17 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.