Carroll County Woman’s Pandemic Hobby Leads to Big Win

Takes home $50,000 playing $50,000 Cash scratch-off game

When the Covid-19 pandemic was in full swing and people were urged to stay home, many of them took up hobbies like cooking, sewing, and reading to pass the time. A 60-year-old Carroll County woman who began playing scratch-offs for fun continued over the years and just won $50,000.

The lucky lady said she had always played jackpot and Pick 3/4/5 games, but needed a little more entertainment during those tough times and added scratch-offs to the mix. “It was something to do,” she said, “plus, it was fun.”

A few weeks ago, the instant ticket fan stopped at Little George’s of Winfield on her way home from work for some Lottery fun. She regularly checks the remaining prizes page on the Lottery’s website to help her decide what to purchase. She chose three $50,000 Cash instant tickets because of the number of top prizes on the game. The $50,000 Cash game began with 160 top prizes of $50,000.

The lucky lady played the three instant tickets at home and was shocked when a $50,000 prize showed on the third game she was scratching.

“When I saw the $50,000 prize under the number ‘13’ that I matched, I was in disbelief,” she said. “The number ‘13’ is now my lucky number.”

To be sure of her win, the loyal player showed the game to her husband. She wanted to be sure she wasn’t “hallucinating,” she said.

“I was in shock, too,” said the winner’s husband, who accompanied her to claim the prize at Lottery headquarters in Baltimore. “I told her she was definitely a winner.”

The winner decided to get one more confirmation and took the scratch-off to another Lottery retailer to scan the instant ticket’s prize check area. Her $50,000 Cash scratch-off was indeed a $50,000 top-prize winner.

She locked the game up at home and made an appointment to claim the prize. The big winner said she plans to pay bills with some of her windfall and invest the rest.

For its role in selling the $50,000 top-prize winning scratch-off, Little George’s of Winfield also benefits. The Carroll County store located at 1707-1709 West Liberty Road in Westminster will receive a $500 bonus from the Lottery.