Lockport Welding Supply Employee Wins $1,000,000 Big Bills Scratch-Off Prize

LOCKPORT, NY (01/31/2012)(readMedia)-- Paul Schneider, 47, of Lockport is Niagara County's newest Lottery millionaire. Schneider, a lifelong Lockport resident, won his $1,000,000 prize on the Big Bills scratch-off game he purchased at the Noco Express Mini Mart on South Transit Road in Lockport.

"That's my store for gas and Lottery tickets on the way home from work," said Schneider who services propane tanks for Irish Welding Supply. "It's always the same store but never the same game," he explained. "I've been playing that way for years."

Schneider realized he had a $1,000,000 winner after matching the number 14 on the top and bottom portions of his ticket. "I saw the word jackpot and it was pretty clear," he said. The new scratch-off winner said his first call was to his girlfriend in Texas. "I called my mom right after that. They were both pretty excited."

Like most Lottery scratch-off games, the $1,000,000 prize on the Big Bills ticket is paid as an annuity. Schneider will receive his prize in 20 annual payments of $50,000. He will receive an annual net check totaling $33,090 through 2031.

Schneider's $1,000,000 prize was the last top prize available on the Big Bills scratch-off game. The $5 ticket has been retired and replaced by the new 20X The Money scratch-off ticket, which also features a top prize of $1,000,000.

Schneider's recent windfall makes him the 17th Niagara County resident to win or share a Lottery prize of $1,000,000 or more. He is the sixth from Lockport to win $1,000,000 or more. Other Lockport Lottery millionaires include:

• Lester Hemmer who won $1,000,000 on the I LUV NY ticket in 1986;

• Nancy Scirto who won a $1,000,000 TaxFree jackpot in 1997;

• William Knopp who won a $2,000,000 Lotto jackpot in 2000;

• Kristy McCullum who won a $3,000,000 Lotto jackpot in 2003; and

• Peggy Dowell who won an $8,000,000 Lotto jackpot in 2006.

About the New York Lottery

The New York Lottery continues to be North America's largest and most profitable Lottery, contributing over $3 billion in fiscal year 2010-2011 to help support education in New York State. The Lottery's aid represents over 15 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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