Harford County woman claims top prize on Neon x20 scratch-off
An Aberdeen woman believes more than mere luck led to her first major Maryland Lottery scratch-off win.
A series of choices made during a day of errands led to her purchase of a new scratch-off at a retailer across the street from her regular Lottery retailer. She won the $100,000 top prize on the Lottery’s Neon x20 scratch-off!
“I feel so overwhelmed,” said the happy woman. “This is the greatest blessing I’ve ever received.”
While on her way to a doctor appointment, the loyal scratch-off player decided to stop for gas and grab a bite to eat. There was a Royal Farms on one side of Middleton Road and a Shell station on the other side. She usually gets her gas from Royal Farms but her husband of 22 years, who was riding with her that day, observed that the parking lot was crowded. Lottery luck was waiting for them to arrive at the Shell station!
Once there, her husband filled their tank with gas and the lucky woman bought a scratch-off. She enjoys trying new instant tickets, which at this particular retailer included a supply of $10 Neon x20 scratch-offs. With the gas and scratch-off purchases completed, the couple planned to next stop at a fast-food restaurant for lunch. They never arrived, however, after one look at the scratched-off ticket!
In shock and disbelief, the couple asked a clerk at the Shell retailer to verify the $100,000 win. The good news: the win was real! The bad news: they must drive to Lottery headquarters in Baltimore to claim such a large prize.
For a brief moment, the woman said, they considered skipping the doctor visit and coming directly to Lottery headquarters. They wound up keeping the appointment and made their way, still hungry, to the Lottery Winner’s Lounge later that afternoon.
They haven’t made plans for spending the prize other than depositing most of it, helping their parents a bit and maybe paying off their new truck. The Shell station located at 1026 Middleton Road also receives a $1,000 bonus from the Lottery for selling the top-prize scratch-off. Four top-prize tickets remain unclaimed in the game, which arrived at retailers on May 22.