A Uniondale, New York, man recently won the top prize of $10 million from a New York lottery ticket, making it the second time he won $10 million from the lottery.
According to a press release issued by New York Lottery, Juan Hernandez was the winner of the top prize from a New York Lottery $10,000,000 Deluxe scratch-off ticket. He previously won $10 million from a $350,000,000 Cash Spectacular scratch-off game in 2019.
He told officials he's "still trying to spend the $10,000,000," he won from his first major win.
The overall odds of winning a prize is one in 3.64 from a $10,000,000 Deluxe scratch-off. But the odds of winning $10,000,000 are even smaller. Only one in 3,521,600 are so lucky to win the top prize.
At press time, two prizes have been paid out, and three prizes remain in circulation.
Brad Maione, the director of communications for the New York State Gaming Commission, told Newsweek that even after all the top prizes have been claimed, tickets may still be sold.
Following the top prize, winners can win between $50 and $100,000 from the $30 scratch-off ticket.
Hernandez received his prize in a single lump-sum payment, which totaled $6,510,000 after the necessary withholdings.
The press release stated proceeds from the lottery go toward supporting education in New York State. In the fiscal year 2020/2021, $3.59 billion was collected and distributed among schools throughout the state.
"New York Lottery revenue is distributed to local school districts by the same statutory formula used to distribute other state aid to education," stated information about this initiative on the lottery's website.
That formula measures a school district's size and the district's income level.
"Larger, lower-income school districts receive proportionately larger shares of Lottery school funding," the webpage explained.
Hernandez is not the only lucky lottery winner.
Newsweek previously reported that Gabriel Fierro, a 60-year-old disabled combat veteran from Cornelius, North Carolina, played the numbers from a fortune cookie he got while eating at a restaurant.
He told officials that although he doesn't typically play his fortune cookie numbers, he "tried them on a whim."
The next day, Fierro learned that all of his numbers matched and he won $4 million.
After tax withholdings, he took home $2,840,40.00 and said he planned to invest most of the winnings.
Mike "Lucky" Luciano won $1 million from a scratch-off ticket, making it the fourth time he hit the jackpot since 1999.
His previous prizes included winning $500,000 from the Pennsylvania state lottery, $3 million in 2016 and $100,000 in 1999, bringing his winnings to $4.6 million in total, as Newsweek reported.
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