 Debra Madkins and her brother Clarence Madkins of Burtonsville were all smiles as they split a $100,000 Maryland Lottery scratch-off prize. |
Lucky winners are first to claim top prize on Let It Snow Tripler ticket
If there is any sibling rivalry between Debra Madkins and her brother Clarence, they were clearly too happy to show it when they arrived at Maryland Lottery headquarters in Baltimore two days before Thanksgiving.
The Burtonsville residents were the first to claim a $100,000 top prize on the Let It Snow Tripler scratch-off ticket and split the money right down the middle.
“We play scratch-offs almost every day, and we have a deal that if we win anything more than $500 we split it,” Debra said.
On Nov. 22, before an afternoon of watching that day’s NFL games, Clarence made a run to Quality Beer and Wine in Silver Spring. His sister gave him $20 to buy scratch-offs, and he quickly picked out a pair of $10 Let It Snow Tripler tickets. When he returned home, he gave the tickets to Debra and settled in for kickoff.
Debra said she enjoys the recently released My Lottery Rewards App, which allows players to scan tickets using a smartphone to find out if they are winners. But she resisted the urge to take that shortcut with her Let It Snow Tripler tickets.
“I decided I was going to go ahead and scratch it and not just scratch the code and then scan it,” she said.
And as she scratched, she revealed the $100,000 prize and quickly shared the good news with her brother, telling him, “We’re rich!”
“We play all the time, and it’s true, you have to play to win,” Debra said. “It had been a while. We were due for a $500 or $1,000, but we’re happy it’s a big one like this.”
It’s by far the most either of them has ever won on a scratch-off ticket. Clarence’s previous best came more than 20 years ago when he won $5,000. Neither sibling said they had any special plans for their prize money – at least not immediately.
“I don’t want to wake up from the dream,” said Clarence, a former construction worker.
Debra, a retired federal government employee, said she wanted to “let it marinate a little bit,” adding that she would share some of her good fortune with family and perhaps make some travel plans for next year.
The Let It Snow Tripler ticket launched in October, and there are still two $100,000 top prizes waiting to be found at Lottery retailers across the state. Quality Beer and Wine at 13826 Old Columbia Pike in Silver Spring is a winner as well. For selling the winning ticket, the retailer will receive a $1,000 bonus from the Maryland Lottery.