WALDORF, Md. – Carol Dyer of Brandywine is planning a mountain vacation, thanks to her $10,000 scratch-off win.
Initially thought Lottery app made a mistake
Carol Dyer of Brandywine plays Maryland Lottery scratch-offs to relax but when she won $10,000, she was so excited it took days to settle down and realize she truly won a second-tier prize in the $100,000 Crossword 5th Edition game.
“I scanned my scratch-off with my phone and it said it was a $10,000 winner, so I told my fiancé my app wasn’t working,” Carol reported on Aug. 23, the day she claimed her prize at Lottery headquarters. The fiancé checked using the app on his phone and said, “Baby, you did win 10 grand!”
Her reaction: His app was broken, too.
Both apps on both phones were working fine, but it took four days for Carol to realize it. Now, she’s starting to think about planning a long-awaited family vacation. The destination is undecided other than having “mountains, streams and beautiful scenery. I’m a nature girl.”
Carol vowed to continue playing scratch-offs to take her mind off the stresses of the day. She enjoys the distraction the games offer, particularly when they are extended-play crossword- and bingo-style games.
“You just kind of get to relax for a moment,” she said. The 57-year-old bought her winning $10 instant ticket at a Charles County Lottery retailer. Her lucky store was 925 Liquors at 2795 Old Washington Road in Waldorf.
This edition of the $100,000 Crossword scratch-off went on sale in August 2021.
It has two unclaimed top prizes of $100,000 and four more second-tier $10,000 prizes awaiting discovery.