Schenectady, NY – Thirty-eight-year-old David Esch of Briarcliff is Westchester County’s third Lottery Millionaire of 2008. Esch, an avid golfer, said he screamed when he scratched his $500,000,000 Extravaganza instant ticket to reveal the $1,000,000 prize.

“Winning the Lottery is like playing a good round of golf,” said Esch. “It’s right up there with hitting a hole in one.”

Esch, the owner of a check cashing business in Ossining, said he started playing the Lottery only last year and has no real “system” for selecting one game over another. “But,” he said, “The bright blue color of this ($500,000,000 Extravaganza) ticket caught my eye.”

He has no immediate plans for his new found wealth other than paying off the mortgage on his house.

“A trip to Cape Cod might be nice too,” he said adding, “Maybe my luck will rub off on the golf course there.”

Esch bought his lucky ticket on May 7, 2008 at Weldon’s Stationery in Briarcliff Manor. He claimed his $1,000,000 winner at the Lottery’s Fishkill Customer Service Center on the same day. He will receive 20 annual payments of $50,000 each, less required tax withholdings. His net check will total $34,075 annually.

Esch is the third Lottery millionaire from Westchester County this year. He joins Karen Kyle who won $1,000,000 on the Deal Or No Deal instant ticket and William and Hope Shanahan who won their $1,000,000 jackpot prize on the Big Bucks instant ticket.

The New York Lottery contributed nearly $2.6 billion to help support education in New York State on incoming revenues of $7.549 billion in fiscal year 2007-08 - - a profit margin of 34.3%. The New York Lottery continues to be North America’s largest and most profitable Lottery, earning over $34.2 billion in education support statewide since its founding over 40 years ago.