Farmingdale Man Wins $10,000 in Scratch-off Game

A Farmingdale man has won $10,000 playing a scratch-off game of the New York State Lottery.

Samuel Hecht of Farmingdale won $10,000 on the Lottery's $5 million "Multiplier" scratch-off game.

Hecht's winning ticket was purchased at the Valero Food Mart/Gas at 702 Oak St., in Copiague on Sept. 10, Lottery officials said. He purchased a $20 "$5 Million Multiplier," a game where a winning amount is multiplied by up to 10 times its face value.

Hecht couldn't be reached for immediate comment.

The New York Lottery is North America's largest, contributing close to $2.9 billion in fiscal year 2011-2012 to state coffers. The Lottery's sole mission is to earn revenue for education, and all Lottery profits go to funding K-12 education in New York State, state officials say.

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.

The amount of funds disbursed by the Education department, under the state budget process, is based upon estimated Lottery earnings at the time of budget passage. In the event Lottery earnings exceed budget estimates, those additional funds become part of the next year's Lottery aid distribution, state officials said.