Yolanda Vega today presented ceremonial prize checks worth $13 million to two downstate Lottery winners representing Long Island and Queens. The event was held at Resorts World Casino in Queens, the highest-grossing video lottery casino in the United States.

Queens Man Wins $10,000,000 on Lottery Scratch-Off Ticket He Purchased After Seeing it in a Dream

Imran Mohammed of Queens saw the New York Lottery’s $10,000 a Week for Life scratch-off ticket in a dream and decided to go out and purchase a ticket. The 29-year-old stopped at the M&S Smoke Shop on Hillside Avenue in Jamaica on his way home from work and bought one of the $20 tickets. He couldn’t believe his eyes when he scratched the ticket and revealed the ‘life’ symbol earning him the guaranteed $10,000,000 jackpot prize.

“It was unbelievable,” explained Mohammed. “I thought something was wrong with the ticket.”

Mohammed chose to claim his prize in the form of a trust called ‘The Lucky FSP Trust’. He opted to receive the cash value of the guaranteed $10,000,000 prize netting him $5,036,617 after required withholdings.

Mohammed, who currently works construction doesn’t plan to retire immediately. “I will continue working, but maybe a little less than normal. I’ll use some of the winnings to buy a new house and then invest the rest for the future.”

Mohammed is the 85^th New York Lottery player to claim a prize of $1,000,000 or more this year.

Loss Prevention Specialist from Elmont Wins $3,000,000 on Scratch-Off Ticket She Almost Didn’t Buy

Fifty-two-year-old Leelawatie Pittam of Elmont almost didn’t buy her $3,000,000 winning 50X the Money scratch-off ticket, but a last-minute decision to buy the ticket paid off handsomely. Pittam won the $3,000,000 jackpot prize making her Nassau County’s newest Lottery millionaire.

“I followed my normal routine after work. I stopped for gas and my Lottery tickets,” explained the loss prevention specialist for BJs Wholesale. “I bought four 50X the Money tickets to start. There was one ticket left on the roll so I decided spend the extra $10 and buy it. That’s the one that turned out to be the winner.”

Pittam scratched the ticket in the store and made quite a scene when she realized she won the jackpot. “I screamed and was carrying on. I probably gave someone in the store a heart attack,” she joked.

Pittam purchased her ticket at the Mobil Mart on Hempstead Turnpike in Elmont. She opted to receive her prize as a one-time lump sum payment totaling $1,568,466 after required withholdings.

“I plan to use the money to retire early and just continue living life,” said Pittam.

Pittam is the 86th New York Lottery player to claim a prize of $1,000,000 or more this year.

The New York Lottery contributed $151,131,517 and $1,303,190,659 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts in Nassau County and New York Counties respectively during fiscal year 2016-2017.

About the New York Lottery

The New York Lottery continues to be North America’s largest and most profitable Lottery, contributing $3.27 billion in fiscal year 2016-2017 to help support education in New York State. The Lottery’s contribution represents approximately 14 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.