Claims 1st of six $50,000 prizes on $20 instant ticket
A District Heights man’s decision to make a random stop to buy a Maryland Lottery scratch-off put him well in the black, thanks to the $50,000 prize hiding on the Black instant ticket. The contractor was returning home from a work site when he decided to stop at the lucky Laurel 7-Eleven to buy the ticket.
Playing scratch-offs is a regular indulgence for the 55-year-old, who scratched the $20 instant ticket before leaving the store. When he uncovered the ticket’s play area, he revealed five matches and a diamond symbol that built his prize total to the $50,000 mark.
“It was unbelievable, but I knew I had won,” he said. The Prince George’s County resident tried to keep cool and quietly left the 7-Eleven, which is located on 605 Seventh Street.
The lucky man has continued to keep his win quiet, electing to remain anonymous after claiming his prize at Lottery headquarters in Baltimore. He’d like to use the money to pay off some debt and add to his savings. He also plans to put his construction skills to use, along with his prize money, to turn a rehab property into his new home.
No one has yet discovered any of the Black ticket’s three $1 million top prizes. Five more $50,000 winning tickets are awaiting discovery at Maryland retailers along with 21 $10,000 prizes and 22 $5,000 prizes.