She has plenty of experience with Maryland Lottery scratch-off wins, a Washington, D.C., resident reported, but this time was different: the $77,777 top prize she found playing a $10 Triple Red 7s Multiplier game delivered a double surprise.
“I buy a scratch ticket just about every day,” the security specialist said when she claimed her prize Aug. 14 at Lottery headquarters in Baltimore. “They’re fun to play as I eat my lunch.”
The District resident said she’s been relatively lucky over the years with her hobby, finding winning tickets just about every week.
“I’ve even won four-digit prizes a few times,” she said.
When asked about the prize that brought her to Lottery headquarters, she described the scene as if it had happened the day before.
“When I saw the ‘7’ on my ticket, I knew that I’d won something, but I wasn’t expecting anything that special, maybe $10 or $20. So, seeing that the prize was $77,777 just stunned me,” she said.
Not wanting to broadcast her good fortune to the world, she fought to keep her cool while leaving the store.
“It was tough. I had to force myself not to start running as I headed to my car!”
The winner’s discipline broke when finally in the privacy of the vehicle.
“I called my Mom to tell her and it all came out. So much yelling – on both ends of the call!”
It was a few minutes later that she realized that this five-digit win hit her very differently than her previous big scores.
“Just like everybody, I always hope to win big when I play. And because I’d won sort-of big before, I thought I knew how I’d feel.” She paused, then said, “I had no idea it would be like this.”
Modern Liquors supplied the Triple Red 7s Multiplier ticket. The game launched in May with 10 top prizes. Six of the $77,777 winning tickets remain unclaimed. The Prince George’s County business at 2358 Iverson Street in Temple Hills receives a $777 bonus from the Lottery for selling the big winner.
