Dennis Walker of Elkton plans to make his family’s holiday brighter, thanks to his $30,000 scratch-off win. |
Top-prize win on SKEE-BALL scratch-off saves the day
The Maryland Lottery helped turn a gray Wednesday into a sunny Thursday for Dennis Walker of Elkton, who replaced his frown with a very happy smile.
The 42-year-old, who has endured some tough times recently, found $30,000 worth of Lottery luck after a long drive to retrieve his car in Elkridge. On the ride home, Dennis remembered he had a few winning Keno tickets with him and decided to stop and claim his prizes.
The first Lottery retailer he stopped at was crowded and busy so he drove on. After passing by other retailers for various reasons, Dennis stopped at Carroll Mart in Elkton. He cashed the Keno tickets and, with his winnings, purchased a $1 scratch-off and a $3 SKEE-BALL® instant ticket.
Dennis pocketed his scratch-offs and went home. He didn’t play the games until the next morning. The first instant ticket scratched gave him a $5 win and he moved on to the SKEE-BALL game. As he scratched it off, the Cecil County resident began to tally his points. He knew even before finishing he had a winning scratch-off.
“I knew it was at least $100,” said the lucky player. “I kept going and realized it was much bigger.”
Much bigger, indeed! His points added up to 550, which meant his SKEE-BALL instant ticket was a $30,000 top-prize winner. Dennis wanted to confirm the win and went to several Lottery retailers to do so. When he attempted to cash the lucky scratch-off, Dennis learned he needed to take a trip to Lottery headquarters in Baltimore to claim the prize.
“I had to wait until my day off to come down here,” said the U.S. Postal Service employee.
Dennis has decided to use his winnings to pay off bills and for holiday gifts. “It really is perfect timing for the holidays,” he said. “I normally send my mom a gift and she will be surprised when I send her a check this year!”
Meanwhile, Carroll Mart located at 2249 East Philadelphia Road in Elkton shares in the big win. The Cecil County store earns a retailer bonus of $300 from the Lottery for selling a top-prize winning scratch-off.
The SKEE-BALL scratch-off, which gained popularity over the summer, still is sizzling hot with four $30,000 top prizes remaining in the game as well as 10 $1,000 prizes remaining.