November 3, 2009-Long-time Lotto subscriber Jodee Grandwilliams of New Hyde Park, Nassau County, treated herself to a hefty cash prize in the Lotto drawing held on October 31, 2009. Grandwilliams’ Lotto Extra subscription numbers matched the second prize winning numbers selected in the Halloween Lotto drawing. Because Grandwilliams was a Lotto Extra subscriber, her cash prize was doubled automatically; paying her $86,270 instead of the $43,135 that was available to traditional Lotto players for the same drawing. There were no second prizes awarded to traditional Lotto players for the October 31, 2009 Lotto drawing.

Lotto Extra is an add-on feature for New York’s traditional Lotto game that gives players the option of paying an extra $1 for the chance to use the Bonus Number or the Extra Bonus Number to win cash prizes at eight prize levels instead of the usual five. The extra $1 is used to pay prize levels two through eight. All Lotto players – traditional and Extra - must still match the first six numbers drawn to win the Lotto jackpot.

The New York Lottery currently has more than 95,000 subscription players. More than 74,000 subscribe to Lotto or Lotto Extra with an additional 21,000 subscribing to the Mega Millions game.

For more information on the New York Lottery’s subscription program, click on the “Ask New York Lottery” tab at nylottery.org.

The New York Lottery continues to be North America’s largest and most profitable Lottery, earning more than $36.7 billion in education support statewide since its founding over 40 years ago.  The Lottery contributed nearly $2.54 billion in fiscal year 2008-09 to help support education in New York State, which was over 12 percent of total state education funding to local school districts.  The Lottery’s ongoing commitment to education also includes the awarding of more than 1,100 Leaders of Tomorrow (LOT) Scholarships annually to high school students pursuing their higher education in New York State.  Since 1999, the Lottery has awarded more than 11,500 scholarships representing a total commitment of almost $50 million.