BATAVIA — Shawn Elkins of Batavia has claimed his $1,000 A Week for Life top prize from the Lottery’s Win $1,000 A Week For Life scratch-off game, according to New York Lottery.
Elkins elected to receive his prize as an annuity. He received his first payment of $33,852 after required withholdings and will continue to receive payments annually, for life.
The winning ticket was purchased at Western OTB/Batavia Downs Gaming, 8315 Park Rd., Batavia.
Elkins said he bought the winning ticket Aug. 12 at Batavia Downs.
“I was kind of excited when I won … I turned the ticket in the next day at Batavia Downs. They sent it overnight to Schenectady.”
Once the New York Lottery in Schenectady received the ticket, it had someone follow up with Elkins to make sure he was the rightful owner of the ticket. The gentleman from the Lottery asked him some questions and confirmed that he was the winner, Elkins said.
“I was going to the Batavia Downs concerts in the summer. I tech went to the concert Aug. 12 to see Mike DelGuidice. Later on that night I purchased the ticket. I scratched the ticket that night,” he recalled. “It was probably after midnight when I found out I won. They told me to come back (to Batavia Downs) at 8 o’clock in the morning. I was there at 8 o’clock because I couldn’t sleep all night.”
During the followup call to confirm that Elkins won, the man who talked to him said the process from there usually takes about a month. However, in Elkins’ case, with the Lottery staff shorthanded, it would probably take a couple of months.
“They sent me stuff in the mail. It asked me ‘How do you want to be paid — lump sum or yearly payments?’” he said. Elkins, 48, chose the annual payment.
“I’m still young, so I said, I’ll take that (annual payment), because this will go into my retirement. It works out better money-wise,”
Elkins simply said he was very happy to have won. He said he told his friends after finding out he had the winning ticket and they were thrilled, too.
“Everybody was like, Dude, that’s awesome,” he said.
Elkins said the New York Lottery guaranteed that under an annual payment, he would be paid for 20 years. If he’s still alive after 20 years, the Lottery will keep paying him annually until his death.
“I still have got to work. You can’t just quit your job. It’s going to make my retirement a hell of a lot better,” he said.
Elkins still works at the general laborer job he’s had for the last 10 years. He said he has no plans to quit working.
“Everyone I work with there thinks … I was going to quit, but I’m still there,” he said with a laugh.
The $1,000 A Week for Life winner said eventually, he may take a trip somewhere. He’s got no immediate plans, though, he said.
As of Friday afternoon, there were six top prizes remaining on this printing of the Win $1,000 A Week for Life ticket (-1453). Players may check the status of any New York Lottery scratch-off by downloading the Game Report at nylottery.ny.gov.
New York scratch-off games generated $4,517,682,111 in total sales during fiscal year 2021-2022. School districts in Genesee County received $13,246,544 in Lottery Aid to Education funds during the same period.
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