Westminster man claims top prize on Blingo Bingo scratch-off
A lucky landscaping employee is seeing green at work and in his bank account after winning the first $100,000 top prize in the Maryland Lottery’s Blingo Bingo scratch-off.
The father of one can thank his morning routine for putting him in the right place at the right time to collide with Lottery luck. The Westminster man works as an account manager for an Owings Mills landscaping company and typically visits Royal Farms #140 in Owings Mills each morning to gas up his vehicle and grab a cup of coffee.
“I buy a Lottery ticket once in a while,” he said. Having a little extra cash in his pocket that morning, the lucky man selected a $10 Blingo Bingo instant ticket and scratched it off in the store. He had never played a bingo-style scratch-off before, so he turned to the store clerks for help.
“The ticket is kind of complicated,” he said. “I didn’t have a clue how to play bingo.”
When the store clerks checked his ticket for him, the Carroll County resident got a surprise.
“They told me I won something but they couldn’t tell me how much or anything more,” he said.
The puzzled player studied the ticket for days, knowing his prize was large but still not sure how large. At first, he hid the scratch-off near his bed and then began carrying it with him to work in his lunchbox. The 39-year-old checked the ticket at a different store, too.
“It was the same story,” he said.
Finally, when his work schedule permitted, the lucky winner and his brother arrived at Lottery headquarters to claim whatever prize came with the scratch-off. Both were shocked and happy.
“My father knew we had a ticket but he was a skeptic,” the winner said. “I think we’re going to give him a phone call.”
For selling the top-prize ticket, the Royal Farms at 10988 Red Run Blvd. in Owings Mills will receive a $1,000 bonus from the Lottery. This was the first top prize awarded in Blingo Bingo, which launched on April 27 and still has three more $100,000 winners waiting to be found at Lottery retailers.