St. Mary’s man claims $50,000 top prize on Monopoly scratch-off
A St. Mary’s County pizza shop manager just took home the second of the four biggest slices of the Maryland Lottery’s popular new Monopoly scratch-off.
The happy restaurant worker is rolling in the dough after winning the $50,000 top prize on the ticket, which went on sale July 18 in Maryland retail stores. Two top prizes remain on the popular $5 ticket along with nine $5,000 prizes and 10 $1,000 prizes.
“I actually had a dream three weeks ago that I scratched off a ticket and we won $50,000,” said his sister, who joined the lucky winner, her mom and niece on the trip to Lottery headquarters in Baltimore. Because his mom and sister kept hoping to see her dream of winning come true, the 20-something man bought three Monopoly tickets at Cook’s Liquors at 25765 Three Notch Road in Hollywood. He and his mom scratched the tickets and enjoyed an eye-opening surprise.
“Mom, I think I won,” he said. “I couldn’t believe it!” she added. They made a quick call to his sister, who shared their disbelief. “I said, ‘Are you serious? Really?’ ” she reported.
The family joke now revolves around the place they put the ticket for safekeeping until he could claim his prize – his mom’s purse! “All weekend she was concerned about her purse,” he said, laughing. “I’ve been a nervous wreck holding onto it,” she agreed.
The mother of four tucked the ticket into a folded piece of paper and then placed it in an envelope in her purse. All weekend, if she wasn’t clutching her purse, she was asking a family member, “Where is my purse?” and then keeping it nearby.
Our winner is a Baltimore Ravens football fan and plans to spend some of his prize taking his mom and nephew with him to a Ravens game. He will put the rest of the money in the bank.
For selling the winning ticket, Cook’s Liquors will receive a $500 bonus from the Lottery.