Lucky retiree claims $30,000 top prize on BinGo! scratch-off
A 61-year-old scratch-off fan’s monthly trip to her local Maryland Lottery retailer turned her special treat – purchasing a scratch-off – into a sweet $30,000 top-prize win on the new BinGo! game.
The winner said she had no particular game in mind when she made her trip to Apache Lounge in Baltimore on Sunday. “I just went in and decided on the BinGo! ticket,” she said. “I wasn’t even sure how to play it.”
The retired Verizon employee didn’t stick around to play the game. Instead, the Baltimore resident returned home and scratched off the $2 ticket there. Because she wasn’t familiar with the game, she wasn’t sure if it was a winner. “I showed my husband and he said it was a $30,000 winner, but I didn’t believe it,” she said, laughing. “I told him, ‘No, it’s not!’ ”
The skeptical player wanted to be completely sure of her win so she brought her instant ticket to Lottery headquarters in Baltimore. Officials confirmed her luck in finding the first $30,000 top prize in the game. Only then did the grandmother’s celebration begin.
When asked what she might do with her very special treat, the winner told Lottery officials that she hasn’t had time to process her sweet surprise and has no immediate plans on how to spend the windfall. “I’m just going to go home to my grandbabies and relax,” she said.
Also happy about her win is her Baltimore Lottery retailer! Apache Lounge located at 1644 North Milton Avenue will receive a $300 bonus from the Lottery for selling the top-prize ticket in the game.