North Bennington Man Wins $3,000,000 New York Lottery Scratch-Off Prize

NORTH HOOSICK (09/04/2012)(readMedia)-- The New York Lottery today introduced James Jess of North Bennington, Vermont as the newest top prize winner on the popular $3,000,000 Bonanza scratch-off game. The 62-year-old said there's a reason he crosses the border to purchase Lottery tickets in New York. "The games are just better in New York," Jess said.

Jess purchased his lucky $3,000,000 Bonanza ticket on August 10 at the Stewart's Shop on NY Route 67 in North Hoosick. He claimed his prize on August 13 at the Lottery's Customer Service Center in Schenectady.

"I knew it was a winner right away," said Jess. "I scratched it in the store and had the clerk scan it," he continued. "We both kept looking back and forth at the scanner and then at each other in disbelief." Jess said he then immediately went home to tell his wife the good news.

Jess will receive his prize in 20 annual payments of $150,000. He will receive a net check totaling $99,270 each year through 2031. Jess said he has "very conservative plans" for the money, including saving for retirement. "It will make life a little better all around" he said.

Jess is the fourth New York Lottery player to purchase a jackpot-winning ticket at a Capital Region Stewart's Shops location in 2012. Other recent winners include:

• Raquel Donovan of Watervliet who purchased her jackpot winning $1,000,000 Payday ticket at the Stewart's Shop on Vandenburgh Avenue in Troy in February;

• Debra OBrien of Nassau who bought her top-prize winning The Color of Money ticket at the Stewart's Shop on Columbia Turnpike in Rensselaer in April; and

• Stanley Muraski of Waterford who won at least $5,000,000 on the Set For Life ticket he purchased at the Stewart's Shop on Hudson River Road in Waterford in July.

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.