Claims top prize on Big Play Crossword scratch-off
A “funny feeling” put a Metro worker in the Maryland Lottery Winner’s Lounge with a $100,000 top prize on a Big Play Crossword scratch-off.
His good fortune arrived on a day that began like any other day for the father of three. While he and his girlfriend washed clothes at a self-service laundry, the 48-year-old went next door to Four Corners Market in District Heights. He bought and played two $10 scratch-offs and two $10 Big Play Crossword scratch-offs, discovered they were non-winners and returned to the laundry.
While sitting with his girlfriend, the Temple Hills resident turned to her and said, “ ‘I feel funny.’ I knew something good was going to happen. I could feel it,” he told Lottery officials.
The loyal player returned to the store and bought one more Big Play Crossword scratch-off. Rather than scratch the whole ticket, he put it under the ticket checker to see if it carried any Lottery luck. Shock was in his eyes when he saw the screen say, “Cash at Lottery.”
He called the retailer over and asked, “Is this for real?” Yes! The retailer explained that he won more than $600 because that was the store’s winning ticket cashing limit. The loyal player next visited a liquor store that can cash winning tickets of $5,000 or less. Again, the ticket checker message directed him to Lottery headquarters to claim his prize. The happy player decided to check his ticket by scratching it off and saw he’d won $100,000!
“I couldn’t believe I saw all those zeroes!” he said, and called his mom and sister to share the good news. His sister was ecstatic, telling her brother, “You deserve it!”
The happy man tried to remain cool when he went to band practice that night with the lucky ticket tucked safely in his wallet. He recalls thinking to himself that he had to “play softly” so he didn’t get his ticket wet from sweat!
The Prince George’s County resident plans to use the money to pay off his car, take care of his children and start saving for his retirement. The grateful winner said he will “spend the money wisely because it is a blessing.”
The lucky Lottery retailer, Four Corners Market located at 5805 Silver Hill Road in District Heights, received a $1,000 bonus from the Lottery for selling the top-prize ticket. The Big Play Crossword scratch-off still has two unclaimed top prizes of $100,000 and nine unclaimed $10,000 prizes.