SACRAMENTO – When Janice Becker, a clerical worker from El Cajon, saw that she had “Spin” three times on her Scratchers® ticket sending her straight to The Big Spin wheel she wasn’t that excited. “I thought I could only win up to $1,000,” explained Becker. After she received the call from the California Lottery and was told that the least she could win would be $20,000 and the most she could win would be $3 million she was more than excited. Becker took home a whopping $100,000! She plans to invest her windfall in her children’s education and take their first vacation.
This week on The Big Spin show four contestants won a total of $325,000. The show aired statewide Saturday, October 6, 2007. This week a grand total of $347,500 was won by Big Spin contestants!
The Fantasy 5 Dream Machine was on a hot streak with two players winning big money! Bob Ely, a retiree from Bakersfield, was not in a good mood when he answered the phone until he heard the voice on the other end. It was the California Lottery calling to let him know that he would be a contestant on The Big Spin show! Ely’s attitude quickly perked up, he went on to call his whole family letting them know the great news. “Whatever I get is more than I came with,” said Ely. He walked away with a $95,000 cash prize! Ely will be using his winnings to pay medical bills that he and his wife 
recently accrued. Belinda Funches, a supervisor from Reseda, feels that she is “unbelievably blessed.” She has had some medical issues lately and wanted to win enough to pay off her medical bills. Well her prayer was answered; Funches won a total of $70,000! She is going to take care of her finances and take her girlfriends on a trip to Jamaica.
Amor “Al” Lopez, a service technician mechanic from Pacifica, outplayed nine other contestants in Aces High to get to The Big Spin wheel. “I had a feeling that I would go to the wheel,” explained Lopez. After spinning the wheel he left with $60,000! Lopez, who is engaged, plans to use his prize for the wedding expenses and he would also like to purchase a home.
Winner's Summary:
| Janice Becker |
El Cajon |
$100,000 |
| Bob Ely |
Bakersfield |
$95,000 |
| Belinda Funches |
Reseda |
$70,000 |
| Amor Lopez |
Pacifica |
$60,000 |
| Young Sim |
Los Angeles |
$5,000 |
| Renato Calvillo |
South San Francisco |
$4,000 |
| Peter Burgin |
Riverside |
$2,500 |
| Deborah Straub |
Signal Hill |
$2,000 |
| Michael Goltz |
Covina |
$2,000 |
| Magda Kovacs |
San Marcos |
$1,750 |
| Ibrahim Kaileh |
Belmont |
$1,750 |
| John Woodruff |
Los Angeles |
$1,750 |
| Myrtle Orsow |
San Rafael |
$1,750 |
| |
TOTAL |
$347,500 |
For high resolution copies of photos of Janice Becker, Bob Ely, Belinda Funches or Amor Lopez please contact Olga Gallardo in the Corporate Communications Office or e-mail ogallardo@calottery.com.
The California State Lottery contributes at least 34 cents of every dollar that players spend on Lottery products to public education and returns more than 50 percent of sales to players in the form of prizes. Since its inception in 1985, the Lottery has contributed more than $19 billion to California schools out of total sales of more than $52 billion. Retailers win too, earning $3.3 billion in compensation since 1985.