November 2, 2009-Benjamin Patton of Hollis, Queens, won $25,000 playing the New York Lottery’s Instant Payday game.

Patton is retired.  He has three sons and three grandchildren.  “I scratched the ticket at home and could not believe I won.  I checked the ticket again just to be sure I wasn’t hallucinating,” said Patton.  He purchased the winning ticket at The Latin Brothers Food, 1141 Fulton St., in Brooklyn.  

The Instant Payday game is a $2 instant game that offers players up to 10 chances to win a top prize of $25,000.  The odds of winning the top prize are 1 in 1,134,000.  Overall odds are 1 in 4.88. 
 
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.