Ocean City bartender Lauren Buckler celebrates her |
Claims final $30,000 prize on Blackout Bingo scratch-off
Ocean City resident Lauren Buckler was nearing the finish of her shift as a server and bartender at Kirby’s Red Onion Bar and Grill this week, when a quick break left her shaking with excitement. Lauren dashed across the street for her work-break ritual of purchasing scratch-offs. The break proved to be fortunate, because one of the $2 Blackout Bingo scratch-offs she purchased won the Maryland Lottery game’s final $30,000 top prize.
After scratching her extended-play style bingo scratch-off, Lauren tried to make heads or tails of what she was seeing. She returned to the retailer to scan the ticket, but the register displayed a strange message that made her more curious. When she returned to the bar, she passed the ticket around, counting up the bingo spaces one by one with the bar patrons until one of her bingo cards on the scratch-off was blacked out, revealing that she had won the game’s final top prize. That’s when the excitement started! Lauren began jumping, shouting and celebrating with the patrons.
The 21-year-old was still brimming with excitement when she visited Lottery Headquarters the day after the win. “This is the most awesome-est, awesome thing ever,” she exclaimed. She says she will save the bulk of the prize but plans to celebrate with a bit of shopping and a trip to Disneyworld. Lauren said her life after the win won’t be much different. “I love the beach and Ocean City. I’m still going to do my normal thing, and work six days a week,” she said.
Lauren found her Lottery luck at 7-Eleven at 13900 Coastal Highway in Ocean City.