BALTIMORE – A Washington, D.C., man entered the Maryland Lottery’s Claim Center all smiles on May 5, a few days after his birthday, to claim the first $5 million top prize on the $5,000,000 LUXE scratch-off. The Lottery fan’s excitement was still fresh after just revealing the big prize the previous day.
Maurice Williams, a school bus driver, was on his way to work when he stopped at the 7-Eleven store at 7206 Sheriff Road in Hyattsville to cash in a $50 prize he previously won on that same $5,000,000 LUXE game. He used the winnings to purchase another ticket and sat in his car to play, but he almost missed the huge win.
“I didn’t notice I had a matching number at first, until I scanned it,” he said. “It’s crazy because the matching number was 59 and I just turned 59 the other day.”
When the birthday boy scanned the ticket, it showed he won $5 million, the game’s top prize.
“I just sat there stuck, I mean, I couldn’t believe it,” Maurice said. “I had to get my head straight.”
Maurice called the one person who could calm him, his mother. She reassured him that everything would be OK and shared in his excitement. After telling his mother the good news, he put the ticket away and went about his work day. On his break, he called the Lottery to set up an appointment to claim his windfall.
When he visited Lottery headquarters, he told of how he had a restless night thinking about his $5 million win.
“I tossed and turned all night,” he said. “I still didn’t believe it until I came here.”
Maurice said he definitely knows one thing he will do with his winnings and that is to buy his mother a house. The rest, he said he will save and he will make his financial decisions after some deliberation.
Also celebrating the big win is the 7-Eleven that sold the ticket, which receives a $5,000 bonus.
The $5,000,000 LUXE scratch-off launched in February with three $5 million top prizes, and Maurice claimed the first one, leaving two more yet to be claimed. Also, up for grabs are nine $200,000 prizes, 10 $50,000 prizes and hundreds of thousands of other prizes ranging from $50 to $10,000.