BALTIMORE, Md. – A retired St. Mary’s County man is celebrating a big Lottery win after scratching his way to a $50,000 prize on a 20X the Cash ticket.
The longtime player visited Maryland Lottery headquarters May 20 to claim his prize and share the story behind win.
The winner said he has been playing Lottery games for years, hoping one day to score a major prize. His favorite games are Racetrax and Keno, which he typically plays weekly. Every now and then, however, he’ll try his luck on scratch-offs.
Such a change of pace paid off in a big way.
On the day he bought his winning ticket, the player said he was driving around searching for a store with a short line so he could quickly play Racetrax. He eventually stopped at ABC Liquors at 22741 Three Notch Road in the St. Mary’s County community of California.
While waiting in line, he grew impatient and decided to switch lines. Rather than playing Racetrax, he purchased four 20X the Cash scratch-offs for $5 each.
He scratched and scanned all four tickets inside the store. When one ticket displayed the message “Take to Lottery,” he wasn’t quite sure what it meant so he asked the retailer to scan the ticket for verification. That’s when he learned he’d won $50,000.
“I felt good hearing that!” he said.
The timing of the win could not have been better. The recent retiree said the unexpected windfall will help make retirement a little easier, as his top priority will be paying off the remaining balance on his mortgage.
He has already shared the exciting news with several family members, many of whom also enjoy playing Lottery games for fun.
As for his future Lottery plans, the winner says he has no intention of slowing down.
“I’ll always play,” he said. “At my age it’s the only entertainment you might get. Maybe next time I want to skip the line, I end up with a big win.”
The 20X the Cash game was launched in January with seven $50,000 top prizes, and this win leaves three remaining unclaimed.
ABC Liquors receives a bonus of $500 for selling a winning scratch-off.