Claims top prize on $500 Frenzy game
With his usual lunch companion and Maryland Lottery partner away for the day, a 50-year-old Montgomery County contractor was forced to dine alone earlier this month. He wasn’t lonely for long, however, because a $50,000 Lottery win tends to draw a crowd.
“You see, it’s usually the two of us at lunch,” he explained to Lottery officials on Friday, describing the lunch break that ended with his possession of a $50,000 winning $500 Frenzy scratch-off. “But that day, my co-worker had something to take care of at home so I stopped in at a restaurant by myself.”
The husband and father of three told us that the pair seeks out lunch destinations that double as Lottery retailers because they both enjoy playing Lottery games while they eat. “I play Keno, he likes the instant tickets,” he said.
After finishing his meal, the Gaithersburg man decided to get two scratch-offs, just for the heck of it. He picked out one of the newer games, $500 Frenzy, because it’s his buddy’s favorite. “The first number I saw was a lucky one, my anniversary, so I had a good feeling.” As luck would have it, that anniversary day matched a number below, and under that match was the game’s top prize – $50,000. “I started shaking,” he said. “I just couldn’t believe it was real.”
The owner of the restaurant hugged our winner when he told her what had happened. Then, she hugged him again! “We were all pretty excited.” Calls to his absent friend and home to his family produced a similar response. “The family really freaked out,” said the happy winner. “My wife said, ‘It’s about time!’ ’’
He found his good fortune at Ann’s Café at 7616 Airpark Road in Gaithersburg. For selling a top-prize scratch-off in the game, the lucky retailer earns a $500 bonus from the Lottery. The bonus is equal to 1 percent of the top prize.
There are plenty of other prizes remaining in the $500 Frenzy game. Players can look for six unclaimed $50,000 top prizes, along with seven $5,000 winners and thousands of other prizes ranging from $5 to $1,000. The game is also a member of the Frenzy family of scratch-offs. Get caught in the frenzy and check out the $1 $50 Frenzy, $2 $100 Frenzy and $10 $1,000 Frenzy instant tickets!