New York Lottery Winner Hits Second $10M Jackpot in Two Years

Article ByDavid Weir

December 8, 2023

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Posted in: US Lottery News, New York Gambling News, US Gambling News

In a remarkable turn of events, Brooklyn resident Wayne Murray has defied astronomical odds by winning a colossal $10 million lottery jackpot for the second consecutive year.

Just this week, Murray, who had already won a previous $10 million jackpot in 2022, purchased a New York Lottery 200X scratch-off ticket from his regular spot, the H&A Gas & Convenience store in Brooklyn. He invested $30 in each ticket.

One of these tickets revealed the $10-million prize. That led to a final windfall of $6,122,400 after choosing a lump sum payment and settling the state’s share.

A Repeat of Fortune

Murray’s journey into the annals of improbable lottery wins began earlier.

In 2022, he won his first $10 million from a Black Titanium scratch-off ticket, purchased at the exact same store as his latest win.

Despite that first life-changing win, Murray continued to indulge in instant-win lottery tickets, a habit that led to his second jackpot hit.

This repeat win is particularly astonishing, given the odds of winning the Black Titanium jackpot were 1 in 3.53 million, and for the 200X, the odds were 1 in 3.64 million.

Keeping it Real

Despite his incredible luck, Murray has maintained a low profile. Hassan Nabil, a clerk at the H&A Gas & Convenience store, was witness to both of Murray’s wins.

“He’s very friendly with the locals and very generous with his time. He could have moved out of the neighborhood after winning the first time, but he stood his ground,” Nabil said.

“Money changes a lot of people, but he doesn’t show off or anything. He keeps it real, keeps it honest.”

Even one of Murray’s neighbors, Constance Bryance, expressed her surprise upon learning about both wins, indicating that Murray had kept his stroke of luck a well-kept secret from even those closest to him.

Low Profile Advantages

That avoidance of extravagant and obvious spending is often a shrewd attitude for lottery winners to take. 2023 has seen several high-profile winners embroiled in legal battles over their big wins.

One Maine lottery winner is suing his ex-partner and mother of his child over allegations she violated an NDA she had signed by exposing the man’s lottery win to his friend and family.

Meanwhile the largest U.S. lottery winner faced a lengthy lawsuit over the ownership of the winning ticket.

Edwin Castro scooped a $2 billion California lottery win in February 2023, but soon found himself at the center of a court battle from another California man claiming to be the rightful owner of the ticket.

The case eventually went in favor of Castro, and Rivera may face police charges for placing false crime reports during the incident.

This year also saw the now-infamous ‘Lottery Lawyer’ Jason Kurland sentenced to 13 years in prison for defrauding his lotto winning clients out of $107 million between 2018 and 2020.

Couriers and Casinos

Meanwhile, the typical kind of friendly local gas station attendant that shared in the tale of Murray’s incredible double win may not be involved in all New York lottery ticket purchases in the future.

This week, an influential pair of New York lawmakers wrote an open letter to the state’s residents, emphasizing the potential economic benefits of legalizing online casinos in New York. The letter also mentioned online lottery sales as a potential source of extra tax revenues.  

In the meantime, as well as visiting retail stores all over the state, New York residents can use lottery courier services to buy tickets, such as Jackpot.com which launched in the state this year.