Takes home third $100,000 top prize in the holiday-themed scratch-off game
A 56-year-old Pasadena man is still feeling the excitement after winning $100,000 on the Lottery’s Winter Cash Tripler scratch-off.
The, winner, who described himself as a fan of bingo-style scratch-offs, decided to try something different on Nov. 26. He scratched and won a top prize on the holiday-themed ticket and then headed straight to the Lottery’s office in Baltimore to claim his winnings the same day.
This astonishing day began with the lucky player headed off to work as a business agent. As his lunch break approached, he grabbed his midday meal and purchased few scratch-off games at the Quick Mart located at 4225 Annapolis Road in Baltimore.
He started with a bingo-style ticket and won $10. He then used his winnings to purchase a Winter Cash Tripler ticket. It was not a winner, but the Anne Arundel County resident said he felt lucky and purchased one more Winter Cash Tripler. That ticket delivered a whopping $100,000 prize.
“When I scratched the ticket and saw that I matched one of the winning numbers, I thought it would be $10,” he said. “I think I lost my breath for a second when I saw the $100,000 prize.”
Still in disbelief, he took a picture of the ticket and then checked it using the Maryland Lottery App on his phone. It was confirmed that he was, indeed, the holder of a $100,000 winning ticket. He then checked with the cashier and a friend who told him how to claim the prize.
“I called my wife to tell her I won, but she didn’t believe me,” the winner said with a smile. “As I’m sitting here, she still doesn’t believe me.”
The lucky winner plans to use the prize money to help his wife with her upcoming retirement, but added that he hasn’t decided what else he might do.
“I’m still trying to process it all,” he said.
The retailer where the ticket was sold gets to celebrate, too. The Quick Mart at 4225 Annapolis Road in Baltimore will receive $1,000 bonus from the Maryland Lottery for selling the lucky ticket.
The Winter Cash Tripler scratch-off launched in October along with four other holiday-themed tickets. Winter Cash Tripler started with eight $100,000 top prizes, and there are still five of those unclaimed, along with 19 second-tier prizes of $10,000 and thousands of others ranging from $10 to $1,000.
Any of the Lottery’s 2019 non-winning holiday-themed tickets are eligible for entry into the Holiday Cash & Dash Second-Chance Promotion. Four winners will win a three-day, two-night trip to Chicago, where they will have 90 seconds to race through a warehouse full of merchandise and grab electronics, housewares and lots more. Other prizes include cash and scratch-off tickets.