“Simply Grateful” of Harford County scored the first $50,000 top prize on the Holiday Riches scratch-off. |
Holiday Riches top-prize scratch-off win leads to Grateful Dead seat upgrade.
If an Abingdon-area appliance repairman wasn’t in a merry mood before buying the Maryland Lottery’s Holiday Riches scratch-off, he certainly was shortly after he scratched it off! The delighted player revealed the game’s first $50,000 top prize.
The 38-year-old winner spends his weekdays repairing appliances of all sizes all over Maryland, spending several hours each day on the road. Last weekend, the new $5 Holiday Riches scratch-off caught his eye as he sipped his coffee at Royal Farms #88 in Monkton.
Although “Simply Grateful” rarely buys scratch-offs, the winner said something random happened involving the Holiday Riches instant ticket that led to his purchase. He scratched it off in his car outside the store. After matching one lucky number, the Harford County resident scanned the scratch-off to check his Lottery luck. The dazed and speechless top-prize winner reports that a grin quickly spread from ear to ear.
He plans to use the prize to make mortgage payments, boost his savings and pursue his musical passion. He and his sister are “Deadheads” and the prize will enable them to upgrade their seats for an upcoming Grateful Dead concert.
For selling a top-prize winning scratch-off, the Royal Farms located at 3209 Jarrettsville Pike in Monkton will earn more than bragging rights. The Harford County store will also earn a $500 retailer bonus – equal to 1 percent of the top-prize win.
Holiday Riches is one of five holiday scratch-offs launched by the Maryland Lottery last month. The game is packed with unclaimed prizes, including six more $50,000 winners, 16 $5,000 prizes and thousands of others ranging from $5 to $1,000.
All of the holiday scratch-offs, if non-winners, are eligible for entry into the Holiday Cash & Dash second-chance promotion running through Jan. 16. Simply enter your non-winning holiday scratch-offs through My Lottery Rewards for your chance to win great prizes like a trip for two to a Chicago warehouse to load a shopping cart with as many items as possible in 90 seconds. Players can also win cash prizes and books of scratch-offs. Find out more at mdlottery.com/holiday.