A Silver Spring resident’s practice of buying newly released scratch-offs paid off when he scratched his way to a $50,000 top prize on the $5 Multiply Your Money game, which hit stores June 17.
The Montgomery County winner visited Lottery headquarters July 13 with his family to claim his prize and share the story behind his win.
The longtime Lottery player said he enjoys playing bingo and scratch-offs and has collected his share of smaller prizes over the years. While he plays a variety of games, he has one strategy he sticks to when choosing scratch-offs.
“I always like to buy the new ones,” he said. “I think they give me the best chance to win.”
Mathematically speaking, the chance of winning on a particular game is no different if the game is new, or if it has been on the market for a while. In this case, though, the winner’s approach proved to be a winning one.
After work one day, the player stopped at KW Beer & Wine to pick up a few items. Before leaving the store, the colorful Multiply Your Money scratch-off caught his eye. He purchased the $5 ticket and decided to scratch it immediately.
When he realized he had a winning ticket, he asked the store owner to scan it for verification, which confirmed what he could hardly believe: the ticket was worth $50,000.
“I was so happy. I’m still very surprised,” the winner said.
Unable to contain his excitement, he rushed home to share the news with his wife and children.
When asked about his plans for the prize, the winner said he intends to use the money to help those less fortunate and also to put a down payment on a home for his family.
He also has no plans to stop playing the Lottery he hopes to win another top prize.
KW Beer & Wine at 8513 Piney Branch Road in Silver Spring receives a bonus of $500 for selling a top-prize-winning scratch-off
