William Russell of Joppa won a $50,000 top prize playing the Double Dice scratch-off. |
Joppa Man Wins $50,000 Playing Double Dice Game
Working as a bingo caller for a living only adds to William Russell’s enthusiasm for playing games of chance. The Joppa resident routinely stops at a Maryland Lottery retailer after work, in the wee hours of the morning, to try his luck with a few scratch-off tickets.
Such a stop added a whopping $50,000 to his wallet, thanks to his choice of the Double Dice scratch-off game.
“I saw Double Dice in the vending machine and remembered that I’d had some luck with it before,” he said. “It wasn’t this kind of luck, though. No way was I expecting this kind of luck.”
The 40-year-old remembers scratching his winning $5 ticket, revealing the $50,000 top prize and showing little or no reaction. “I was stunned, of course, but I stayed calm. I think it didn’t really hit me, the reality of what had just happened.”
William also was a bit skeptical of the win because of a previous scratch-off false alarm. “A few years ago,” he said, “I thought I’d won a big amount only to realize later that I hadn’t read the instructions completely. Most of me knew this win was real, but a part of me doubted it.”
All doubts evaporated when William delivered his ticket to Lottery headquarters and claimed his prize. He plans to use his winnings to clear away some debt and go on a vacation with his girlfriend. His Double Dice luck found him in the Royal Farms convenience store at 500 Joppa Farm Road in Joppa. One remaining $50,000 top prize-winning ticket, three $10,000 second-tier prize-winning tickets and five $3,000 winning tickets are in Maryland stores awaiting purchase. The game offers 15 chances to win.