Played Maryland Lottery game in memory of his late sister
A Catonsville man is $10,000 richer because he decided to play a Maryland Lottery game in memory of his late sister Regina, who loved scratch-offs.
The government employee, who is mourning her recent death, was remembering good times the siblings had shared such as playing – and winning – Maryland Lottery games. She favored scratch-offs while his game of choice is Pick 4. The retired member of the military has won $10,000 and $5,000 playing combinations of his address, date of birth and friends’ addresses.
“I was thinking of her and I said to myself, ‘I’m going to go play a ticket for you,’ ” said the 63-year-old man. He set off for his favorite Lottery retailer in Baltimore to buy a scratch-off. A $5 Double Dice instant ticket caught his eye so he bought one to scratch off at work during a break. He couldn’t believe his eyes!
“I scratched a $1,000 win and I thought, well, I made back the money I spent on the ticket,” he said. “The next number was another $1,000, then another $1,000, then another $1,000!” The widower wrapped up his scratch-off fun by uncovering a Double Dice symbol over $3,000, which pushed his total win to $10,000.
The parent of several adult children, our winner admits to still having toys in his garage but they belong to him! He enjoys restoring antique vehicles, owns several motorcycles and recently acquired a free powerboat that needs repairs to become seaworthy. He plans to pay bills with his winnings and invest the rest into his 16-foot boat so he can get on the water before it gets too cold.
The top prize on the Double Dice scratch-off is $50,000 and there are still three top-tier tickets on sale in Maryland stores along with six more $10,000 winners. Our lucky winner found his ticket at the Soda Pop Shop at 1026 Ingleside Avenue in Baltimore.