$20 scratch-off gives St. Mary’s County resident her big win
A fast food manager for 18 years just won her ticket to a luxurious vacation, thanks to the Maryland Lottery. The Southern Maryland resident won a $50,000 top prize on the $50,000 Cash scratch-off.
“I’ve been trying to win some big money,” said the happy woman, explaining that big prizes remained elusive in the past. Her luck changed earlier this month, when she visited Fastop #52 in Leonardtown and bought three instant tickets.
“I bought one – no winner. The second one – no winner,” she said. “The third one said, ‘See Lottery agent.’ I had scanned it and I got so nervous.” The store clerk, who was nearby, saw her reaction after the winner scanned the lucky ticket. “She knew something was up,” the winner told Lottery officials. “She said, ‘Somebody just won $500 on that game.’”
The St. Mary’s County resident quickly left the store and phoned her boyfriend with the good news. She was on her way to a doctor’s appointment and couldn’t show him the ticket until later. In the time since she discovered her $50,000 win, where did she hide the instant ticket?
“I took that ticket everywhere with me,” she said, laughing at the memory. She even took it to work and kept it safe from prying eyes until she could claim the prize at Lottery headquarters in Baltimore. “I kept it close to my heart.”
In addition to taking a vacation, the scratch-off fan plans to put part of the prize into her savings account “for a rainy day,” she said.
The St. Mary’s County retailer also benefits from the game’s sale. Fastop #52 located at 23952 Point Lookout Road in Leonardtown will earn a $500 bonus from the Lottery for selling a $50,000 top-prize winning scratch-off.
The $50,000 Cash game is ranked No. 2 in the Lottery’s Top 40 Scratch-offs. Since it went on sale on Dec. 29, the scratch-off has awarded nearly 10 of its 160 $50,000 top prizes. The ticket also still has 166 unclaimed $5,000 prizes along with nearly 1 million other prizes ranging from $20 to $500.
