Construction worker wins $50,000 instantly on Red Hot Riches scratch-off
A Montgomery County dad gave his daughter an unusual gift on her birthday – an invitation, which she accepted, to accompany him to Maryland Lottery headquarters in Baltimore when he claimed a $50,000 Red Hot Riches scratch-off win!
The gift of an unusual adventure came about because the 65-year-old construction worker, a big fan of Maryland Lottery instant games, stopped by Old World Favorites at 3854 International Drive in Silver Spring on his way home from work the day before his daughter’s birthday. He picked out an assortment of scratch-offs – including Red Hot Riches. He scratched them off in his car and, when he came to the winning $5 ticket, was at first surprised, then completely floored when he realized the prize was $50,000.
“I thought to myself that it was a very lucky thing,” he said. “But then, I started to think of the impact it would have on my family’s life.”
The Gaithersburg dad hurried home to tell his family the exciting news. “My two kids were very excited. My wife started crying,” he said. Everyone had fun celebrating the win that night.
“It was very exciting,” he said. “I couldn’t get to sleep, I was thinking about too many things.”
For example, the family was planning to move to a new home in the next year or so. This $50,000 win will speed up the timetable dramatically, he said. “This prize will make a huge difference for my family.”
Red Hot Riches hit Maryland stores in February. There are still two $50,000 top-prize winners out there somewhere, as well as six $5,000 winning tickets. For selling the scratch-off, the retailer will receive a Maryland Lottery bonus of $500.