Dundalk’s Cherise Martin celebrates her $12,000 Keno win. |
Dundalk mom claims $12,000 Keno prize
Cherise Martin of Dundalk has slowed the pace of her Maryland Lottery play in the last year or so, she told Lottery officials this week. After winning more than $25,000 playing Pick 4 two years ago, the cosmetologist thought she’d received all of the Lottery luck that destiny had in store for her. Was she ever in for a $12,000 surprise!
“I really don’t play too much any more,” said the 36-year-old, who arrived at Lottery headquarters to claim the $12,000 Keno prize. “I only played on Saturday because I was waiting for my son.”
Cherise had a half hour or so to kill that day before she could pick up her son at a friend’s house. “I happened to see a restaurant that had Lottery as I was driving. That’s the only reason I played,” she said.
Recalling a number combination she had used frequently in the past, Cherise stopped at Garden Liquor in Baltimore to play a 10-spot Keno game for two drawings. She also bought an instant ticket.
“I was scratching the ticket as the Keno numbers were popping up so I only caught the last two,” she said. Knowing those two numbers were among her Keno numbers, Cherise scanned the rest of the numbers drawn. “I had nine matches! I couldn’t believe it, nine out of ten. I was just frozen.”
Because the happy winner had added the Bonus multiplier feature to her ticket, her prize tripled to $12,000. She kept the news from her son until Monday. “He couldn’t believe it,” she said. “I’m pretty sure he still thinks this is a joke.”
Cherise plans to use her Keno winnings to pay a few debts that were troubling her. “This really is a blessing for me, for us.”
The Lottery retailer that was in the right place at the right time for Cherise is Garden Liquor located at 5401 Belair Road in Baltimore. For selling a winning Keno ticket of $10,000 or more, the retailer earns a Lottery bonus of $120 – equal to 1 percent of the prize.