Central New Yorker Wins $1 Million In Erie Canal Raffle

If you bought a ticket for the New York Lottery’s special Million Dollar Raffle, now is absolutely the time to dig it out. The New York Lottery says 5,505 tickets won something in this drawing, and several of those winners are right here in Central New York, including one millionaire.

How the Million Dollar Raffle Worked

This raffle, created to celebrate the bicentennial of the Erie Canal, was structured a little differently than your typical scratch-off or Quick Pick. Only a fixed number of tickets were sold, counting down from 2,000,000, with the last ticket sold ending at 1,208,648. All winning ticket numbers were drawn from that exact range under the watch of an auditor from KPMG and the Lottery Integrity unit. In other words, this was about as secure and official as it gets.

Big Wins in Central and Western New York

Out of the 15 top-prize $1 million tickets sold statewide, one of them was sold at Mirabito in New Berlin on South Main Street. Yes, someone in Chenango County is officially set for life. Another lucky CNY winner came out of Herkimer, Cliff’s Local Market on East State Street sold a $100,000 winning ticket. And if you’re wondering about the $25,000 tier, 15 of those were sold statewide, but none landed locally this time around.

READ MORE: Central New York Man Claims $17M Lotto Prize

Western New York also saw two major hits: BW’s in Pavilion (Genesee County) sold another $1 million ticket, and Western OTB Gaming in Batavia sold a $100,000 winner. With 45 total top-tier prizes and 5,460 additional tickets worth $200 each, odds are very good that someone you know just became a little (or a lot) richer and hasn’t even realized it yet.

How Much the Lottery Gives Back to Schools

This raffle wasn’t just about creating new millionaires, either, it also helped support New York’s public schools in a massive way. The Lottery confirmed it contributed $3.6 billion with a “B” to education in fiscal year 2024-2025 alone. Every ticket really does make a difference, even for the people who don’t win.

Where to Get Help for Gambling Addiction

If you or someone you love needs help with problem gambling, the state offers confidential resources at NYProblemGamblingHelp.org, through the 24/7 hotline at 1-877-8-HOPENY, or by texting HOPENY (467369).