New York City is a Lottery Hot Spot!

NEW YORK, NY (12/20/2012)(readMedia)-- New York Lottery jackpot announcer Ralph Buckley today introduced New York's newest Lottery millionaires. The 10 winners, consisting of Powerball players and scratch-off winners, were presented with their ceremonial over-sized checks totaling $13,000,000.

Bronx Woman Full of Holiday Cheer After $1,000,000 Scratch-Off Win

Linda Dixon of the Bronx is strictly a scratch-off player and normally plays the new games when they come out. She also likes to play the holiday themed tickets. Dixon had the best of both worlds when she purchased a new holiday themed Holiday Magic ticket and won the $1,000,000 top prize.

"I like to play the newer scratch-off tickets when they come out, and I especially like the holiday themed ones," said Dixon. "The Holiday Magic ticket really caught my eye. When I scratched it on the way to work and saw that I won $1,000,000, it was just a wonderful feeling."

Dixon purchased her $1,000,000 winning Holiday Magic ticket on November 22 at Jher Inc. on Westchester Avenue in the Bronx. She claimed her prize on November 30 at the Lottery's New York City Customer Service Center.

The $1,000,000 top prize on the Holiday Magic scratch-off ticket is paid in 20 annual payments of $50,000. Dixon's annual net check will total $31,152 after required withholdings. Dixon's plans for her winnings include an early retirement and taking care of her family.

Bronx Man Picks Up a Newspaper and $1,000,000 Lottery Ticket on His Way to Breakfast

George Osorio of the Bronx was on his way to breakfast when he decided to make a stop to purchase the morning paper and a Lottery scratch-off ticket. He opted for the $5 Ruby Red X12 ticket, which turned out to be the right choice. The ticket Osorio purchased just happened to be a $1,000,000 jackpot winner.

"I used to play the New York Poker ticket, but decided to switch to Ruby Red X12," said Osorio. "At first I thought it was a small prize so I wasn't that excited. Once I realized it was $1,000,000, I got a little chill."

Osorio purchased his $1,000,000 winning Ruby Red X12 ticket at ABD Dielles on Southern Boulevard in the Bronx. He claimed his prize on November 30 at Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway.

The $1,000,000 top prize on the Ruby Red X12 scratch-off ticket is paid in 20 annual payments of $50,000. Osorio's annual net check will total $31,152 after required withholdings. Osorio's plans for his winnings include paying some bills and taking care of family and friends.

Brooklyn Woman Takes a Break From Her Laundry to Purchase $1,000,000 Lottery Scratch-Off Ticket

Linza Ford of Brooklyn was busy doing her laundry one weekend when she decided to take a break and buy a Million Dollar Scratch Lottery ticket. As she was walking back to the Laundromat, Ford scratched off her $1,000,000 winner.

"I always take a short walk after I put the clothes in the dryer," explained Ford. "I scratched the ticket on the walk back to the Laundromat, and all I kept thinking was 'no, no, no, something's wrong. This can't be.'"

Ford purchased her $1,000,000 winning Million Dollar Scratch ticket at Prabhu Grocery Store on 86th Street in Brooklyn. She claimed her prize on November 27 at the Lottery's New York City Customer Service Center.

The $1,000,000 top prize on the Million Dollar Scratch scratch-off ticket is paid in 20 annual payments of $50,000. Ford's annual net check will total $31,152 after required withholdings. Ford plans to use her winnings to pay off student loans and share it with her family.

Loyal Lottery Player from Brooklyn Wins $1,000,000 Powerball Prize

Anthony Pallone of Brooklyn plays almost all of the Lottery's draw games for the chance to become a millionaire. He now has Powerball to thank for making that dream come true. Pallone matched the first five numbers from the November 17 Powerball drawing earning him a $1,000,000 second prize.

"I checked my numbers on television and was pretty sure I won," explained Pallone. "I went down to the store to compare them to the print outs, and that's when I knew for sure."

Pallone purchased his $1,000,000 winning Powerball ticket on November 16 at A K Grocery on 18th Avenue in Brooklyn. He claimed his prize on November 19 at Resorts World Casino New York City.

The $1,000,000 Powerball second prize is paid out as a one-time lump sum payment. Pallone will receive a net check totaling $623,040 after required withholdings. Pallone said his plan for the money is "to start thinking about retirement."

The winning numbers from the November 17 Powerball drawing were 3-15-27-58-59, Powerball 20.

Brooklyn Couple's $1,000,000 Powerball Win is a Win for the Whole Family

Catherine and John Passarella of Brooklyn make sure they buy their Powerball tickets for every drawing. On November 16, Catherine purchased the couple's ticket for the following evening's $219,200,000 drawing. That lucky ticket turned out to be a $1,000,000 winner.

"I saw the results the day after the drawing and thought we won $10,000," explained Passarella. "It wasn't until I compared it to the results print out at the store that I realized it was actually $1,000,000," she explained.

Passarella purchased the couple's $1,000,000 winning Powerball ticket at Green Planet Foods on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn. They claimed their prize on November 23 at the Lottery's Garden City Customer Service Center.

The $1,000,000 Powerball prize is paid out as a one-time lump sum payment. The Passarella's will each receive a net check totaling $311,520 after required withholdings. They plan to share their winnings with their family.

The winning numbers from the November 17 Powerball drawing were 3-15-27-58-59, Powerball 20.

Manhattan Powerball Winner Skips Mini-Vacation and Wins $1,000,000

Alexander Chang of Manhattan planned to take a short vacation, but his work schedule wouldn't allow him to leave. While still in town, he decided to purchase a Powerball ticket for the November 24 drawing. That ticket turned out to be a $1,000,000 winner.

"I was bummed that couldn't go away for the weekend," said Chang. "I'm pretty happy now with the way things worked out."

Chang purchased his $1,000,000 winning Powerball ticket on November 23 at 206 Newsstand Corp. on Varick Street in Manhattan. He claimed his prize on November 26 at the Lottery's New York City Customer Service Center.

The $1,000,000 Powerball prize is paid out as a one-time lump sum payment. Chang will receive a net check totaling $623,040 after required withholdings. He plans to use his winnings to help his family and save for the future.

The winning numbers from the November 24 Powerball drawing were 22-32-37-44-50, Powerball 34.

$1,000,000 Powerball Winner from Manhattan 'Always Thought He Would Win'

Brian Egan of Manhattan only plays the New York Lottery draw games when the jackpots are high. On his way to a dinner party on November 24, Egan stopped to purchase some Powerball tickets for that night's $327,000,000 jackpot. He checked his tickets later that night and realized he won the $1,000,000 second prize.

"I checked my numbers on my phone while I was still at the party," explained Egan. "I knew I had won and thought immediately of my Dad, because he and I play the Lottery together, and he always said we would win big one day."

Egan purchased his $1,000,000 winning Powerball ticket on November 24 at International News and Magazine on 86th Street in Manhattan. He claimed his prize on November 26 at the Lottery's New York City Customer Service Center.

The $1,000,000 Powerball prize is paid out as a one-time lump sum payment. Egan will receive a net check totaling $623,040 after required withholdings. He plans to use his winnings to pay off some bills, take a vacation, and donate to various charities.

The winning numbers from the November 24 Powerball drawing were 22-32-37-44-50, Powerball 34.

Spur of the Moment Scratch-Off Purchase Earns Queens Man $1,000,000 Win

Kenneth Isaacs of Glen Oaks, Queens County, buys New York Lottery scratch-off tickets for the fun of it. While shopping one day, he passed by a Lottery vending machine and decided to purchase a $5 Fabulous Fortune ticket. That $5 investment earned Isaacs a $1,000,000 payday.

"I had a five dollar bill in my hand when I passed the Lottery machine," explained Isaacs. "I put it in the machine just for laughs. When I got home and saw the eight on the top and the bottom, I flipped out!"

Isaacs purchased his $1,000,000 winning Fabulous Fortune ticket on November 19 at Waldbaum's on Union Turnpike in Glen Oaks. He claimed his prize on November 23 at the Lottery's Garden City Customer Service Center.

The $1,000,000 top prize on the Fabulous Fortune scratch-off ticket is paid in 20 annual payments of $50,000. Isaacs' annual net check will total $31,152 after required withholdings. Isaacs' said his plan for the money is to invest for the future.

Occasional Scratch-Off Player From Queens Wins Lottery Prize of a Lifetime

Michael Reitan of Rego Park, Queens County, considers himself an occasional Lottery player. When he does decide to play, he chooses the $10 Set For Life scratch-off ticket. On Friday, November 30, Reitan made the spur of the moment decision of a lifetime when he purchased a jackpot winning Set For Life ticket guaranteeing him a minimum payout of $5,000,000.

"I would consider myself an infrequent player. I only buy scratch-offs every few months," explained Reitan. "When I realized I won, I just started jumping up and down in my apartment."

Reitan purchased his jackpot winning Set For Life ticket at Lucky Corner on 63rd Drive in Rego Park. He claimed his prize on December 3 at the Lottery's Garden City Customer Service Center.

The top prize on the Set For Life ticket guarantees a minimum payout of $5,000,000 to be paid over 20 years. Reitan will receive his $5,000,000 in 19 annual payments of $260,000 (net $172,068) and one additional payment of $60,000 (net $39,708). After that, he will continue to receive an annual net payment of $172,068 for the rest of his life. Reitan plans to use a portion of his winnings to help out his family and go to the Super Bowl in 2014.

The New York Lottery contributed $1,110,484,399.89 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts throughout the five boroughs during fiscal year 2011-2012.

About the New York Lottery

The New York Lottery continues to be North America's largest and most profitable Lottery, contributing nearly $2.9 billion in fiscal year 2011-2012 to help support education in New York State. The Lottery's contribution represents nearly 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.

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