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July 24, 2014                                                             (518) 388-3415

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PLAINVIEW, N.Y. – The New York Lottery’s Yolanda Vega today introduced New York’s first two ‘for life” CASH4LIFE winners at the Lottery’s Customer Service Center in Plainview. Vega also introduced a $3,000,000 scratch-off winner from Coram.

Fortune Teller Predicts…Retired Police Officer will be a "For Life" Lottery Winner

Edna Aguayo of Queens is New York’s first person to claim a CASH4LIFE jackpot prize. Aguayo matched all six numbers from the July 14 drawing earning her $1,000 a day for life. The retired police officer credits her good fortune to a trip to an amusement park over sixteen years ago.

“I was in an amusement park and went to see a reader.  She told me to buy ‘for life’ lottery tickets because she could see that one day I was going to hit a ‘for life’ prize,” Aguayo explained. “I thought I would win the second prize.  I didn’t think I was ever going to win the top prize.”

Aguayo purchased her ticket at Walbaum’s on Crossbay Boulevard in Howard Beach.

Aguayo will receive her CASH4LIFE prize in annual payments of $365,000 per year. After required withholding she will receive a net check totaling $227,410 every year for the rest of her life. Aguayo said she doesn’t have any specific plans for the money right now. She wants to take some time to think about it.

The winning numbers from the July 14 CASH4LIFE drawing were 9-19-34-37-49 Cash Ball 2.

CASH4LIFE is an exclusive multistate draw game offering players in New York and New Jersey two chances for lifetime prizes with the purchase of a single $2 ticket. Players who match the first five numbers and the Cash Ball win $1,000 a day for life. Players who match only the first five numbers win $1,000 a week for life. CASH4LIFE drawings are held every Monday and Thursday evenings at 9:00 p.m.

The New York Lottery contributed $1,048,350,198.80 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts throughout New York County during fiscal year 2013-2014.

Twenty-Year-Old College Student Becomes First New Yorker to Win CASH4LIFE Second Prize

Catherine Morales of East Rockaway has the distinction of being New York’s first second prize winner on the new CASH4LIFE draw game. Morales matched the first five numbers from the June 19 drawing earning her $1,000 a week for the rest of her life.

“My father told me about the game, and I liked the idea of winning for life so that’s why I played,” explained the college student.

Morales checked her ticket online the day after the drawing and saw that she matched five numbers. “At first I was in denial, but then I was just really happy,” she said. “My first call was to my father and he was in denial too. When he realized it was real, he was happy for me.”

Morales purchased her ticket at Virpa Inc. on Main Street in East Rockaway.

Morales opted to receive the cash value of her for life prize and will receive a one-time payment totaling $661,800. She plans to use the winnings to finish her degree, pay off student loans and save some of it to one day buy a house.

The winning numbers from the June 19 CASH4LIFE drawing were 8-13-43-56-60 Cash Ball 2.

CASH4LIFE is an exclusive multistate draw game offering players in New York and New Jersey two chances for lifetime prizes with the purchase of a single $2 ticket. Players who match the first five numbers and the Cash Ball win $1,000 a day for life. Players who match only the first five numbers win $1,000 a week for life. CASH4LIFE drawings are held every Monday and Thursday evenings at 9:00 p.m.

The New York Lottery contributed $132,384,615.16 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts in Nassau County during fiscal year 2013-2014.

‘Luck is a State of Mind’ Explains $3,000,000 Lottery Winner from Coram

Forty-nine-year-old Elizabeth Polcari of Coram, Suffolk County used to think she was an unlucky person. On June 26 she beat the odds and did what others only dream of, she won a New York Lottery jackpot prize. Polcari won the $3,000,000 top prize on the King’s Ransom scratch-off ticket and credits her good fortune to a change in attitude.

“A couple of years ago I changed the way I thought about myself. I used to call myself an unlucky person. I changed my mind and decided to focus on the good and everything started to turn around. Luck is a state of mind,” she explained.

Polcari purchased her lucky Lottery ticket on June 26 at the 7-Eleven on Route 347 in Smithtown. She claimed her prize at the Lottery’s Plainview Customer Service Center later that same day.

On behalf of The Joan Styffe Memorial Trust, Polcari opted to receive the prize in one lump sum payment totaling $2,340,000 (net $1,548,612). When asked about plans for the money Polcari said, “I will start planning the wedding of my dreams and buy a new house. I’d also like to put a red corvette in the driveway.”

The New York Lottery contributed $240,273,853.81 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts in Suffolk 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.