SCHENECTADY, NY (08/13/2010)(readMedia)-- Randy Moore of Jamestown today claimed a $200,000 second place Powerball prize at the New York Lottery's Buffalo Customer Service Center. Moore thinks he may have ladybugs to thank.

"I was sitting at work on Monday when some ladybugs landed on me--two of 'em. A nice Italian woman I was sitting next to told me that it was good luck and I shouldn't touch them." In Italy, ladybugs are thought to bring good luck. Moore's delicate approach paid off when he took home the $200,000 prize for the August 11th drawing.

A diesel engine repairman for Cummins Engine Plant in Lakewood, Moore has been playing the lottery for 30 years. While he plays all of the Lottery's jackpot games, Moore is particularly dedicated to Powerball. "I used to play it in Pennsylvania but I started playing in New York when we kicked it off," he said.

Moore learned of his windfall when he checked the Powerball numbers on the Lottery website. He was one of two New Yorkers to win second place prizes for the August 11th drawing:

7 - 10 - 22 - 23 - 52 - (29)

"My knees buckled when I realized I had won," says this generous winner. Moore, who grew up in a big family without much extra money, plans to "Buy a smaller house in Jamestown, help my son with student loans. I also want to donate my old house to Habitat for Humanity."

This magnanimous winner purchased his ticket at the Mason Gulf in Jamestown, where he is a regular customer. Powerball is a multi-state draw game with drawings on Wednesday and Saturday. The odds of winning any prize are 1 in 35.11. The odds of winning a second place Powerball prize like Moore's are 1 in 5,138,133.

The New York Lottery continues to be North America's largest and most profitable Lottery, earning more than $39.3 billion in education support statewide since its founding over 40 years ago. The Lottery contributed nearly $2.67 billion in fiscal year 2009-2010 to help support education in New York State, which was over 12 percent of total state education funding to local school districts.

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.

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Posted Friday August 13, 2010 at 03:13 pm by New York Lottery
Last Updated Thursday August 26, 2010 at 02:30 pm