Baltimore Man Wins $100,000 Playing Great Big Bingo
Lady Luck brought a great big gift of green to Maryland Lottery scratch-off player Ronald Christmas this month, turning a drab winter evening into a happy, unforgettable day. The 55-year-old Baltimore resident just won the $100,000 top prize on the Lottery’s popular Great Big Bingo scratch-off game.
Ronald, an avid scratch-off player, was waiting to pick up his wife Sherrie from work when Lady Luck appeared. The family was gathering after work for a dinner to celebrate his son’s birthday. While waiting, Ronald decided to cash a scratch-off ticket and reinvested the win into a $5 Great Big Bingo scratch-off. He took the new ticket back to his vehicle and proceeded to scratch off an eye-popping $100,000 win.
“I called Sherrie because I did not believe I won,” Ronald said. “When she came down, I handed her the ticket and asked her what this meant.” At first glance, Sherrie thought the ticket was worth at least $500. She took a closer look and confirmed her husband’s suspicions of a $100,000 win. The excited couple verified the win at a retailer and went on to the birthday dinner with their son and three daughters, saying nary a word about the win.
Instead, they planned to share the news with their children in a special way. After claiming the prize at Lottery headquarters in Baltimore, the couple took home a giant Maryland Lottery check used in photographs of winners. They displayed the check on the dining room table and will let their children discover it. “They will be shocked,” Sherrie said.
Ronald, a retired IT specialist for Baltimore City, plans to use his winnings to pay down his mortgage, make some home improvements, take a vacation and share some of the prize with his family. He bought the winning ticket at the Orleans Street Citgo located at 1015 Orleans Street in Baltimore City.