Berlin resident wins $50,000 with Maryland Lottery scratch-off
A $50,000 Maryland Lottery scratch-off prize is fueling big dreams for a Berlin restaurant worker and his wife.
The lucky winner brought home the big prize after purchasing a couple of $20 Hit It Big instant tickets. The father of two had no luck with the first ticket but found his fortune with lucky scratch-off No. 2. The Worcester County resident knew he’d won but wasn’t immediately sure of the total.
“I didn’t realize it was $50,000 … I thought it was $50,” he said. “Then, I kept looking at it and looked at the numbers and realized. I called my wife. She was at Macy’s.”
“He called and said, ‘I have great news,’ and I said, ‘Don’t tell me it’s $500,’ ” his wife recalled. “He said it wasn’t, and I said ‘What then, $5,000?’ And then, he told me it was $50,000! And I went back to shopping some more.”
The lucky 43-year-old purchased his winning ticket in August at Seaside Deli, Beer & Wine at 7207 Coastal Highway in Ocean City. This is the second $50,000 winning scratch-off this lucky retailer sold this summer. On Aug. 28, a New Jersey resident claimed a $50,000 winner on the Amazing 8s ticket.
The restaurant where our winner works is busy during the summer, which meant he couldn’t make it to Lottery headquarters in Baltimore to claim his prize until a week after Labor Day. Keeping the winning ticket safe was no problem. His wife saw to that.
“I have lots of places in the house where I hide stuff from him,” she said with a laugh.
Married for 15 years, the couple plans to use the prize to help fund a big dream. “We’ve been working hard, both of us, trying to save to open our own restaurant,” he said.
The Hit It Big ticket, which launched in June, has two $1 million top prizes waiting to be found at Lottery retailers across the state. There are still three $50,000 winning scratch-offs awaiting discovery.