He almost chose a different ticket, a Caroline County man told Lottery officials Jan. 16 when he claimed a $50,000 scratch-off prize. He changed course and now the new ticket is his favorite game.
The $5 scratch-off 20X The Cash was not his first choice when he stopped for gas at the Sunoco Truck Stop on Kent Island on Jan. 9. He was going to buy his previous favorite game, but had a change of heart at the last minute.
While they say the grass isn’t always greener, for the retired federal employee, trying something different paid off handsomely.
“I have a favorite game, and I was about to buy it when I saw this one,” the Denton resident said. “It looked like a new ticket to me and for some reason I picked it instead.”
The game 20X The Cash was indeed new, having debuted that very day, Jan. 9. The $50,000 win is the first top prize to be claimed on the game. Six more remain in circulation along with 10 at the $5,000 second-tier level.
When his scratching revealed the big win, he immediately called his wife.
“I told her I’d just won $50,000 and it was all hers. As hard as I tried to convince her, she didn’t believe me,” he said.
The Sunoco Truck Stop receives a $500 bonus for selling the top-prize winner. The Queen Anne’s County business is at 400 Thompson Creek Road in Stevensville.
The Eastern Shore couple plans to add their 20X The Cash prize to their grandchildren’s college fund.
