Gaithersburg man wins big bucks playing Instant Millionaire game
A generous father, out of work and on long-term disability, was thinking mostly of his children when he arrived at Maryland Lottery headquarters in Baltimore to claim a $50,000 prize in the Instant Millionaire scratch-off game.
The 50-year-old Gaithersburg resident is a scratch-off fan, buying them frequently.
“I buy them and take them to my wife to scratch,” said the modest winner.
And that’s exactly what happened when Lottery luck delivered a $50,000 prize for the second time in two years. In 2013, he won $50,000 playing Bonus Match 5.
Our winner was picking up a prescription at the Giant store located at 229 Kentlands Boulevard in Gaithersburg when he bought a few scratch-offs, including an Instant Millionaire ticket. As usual, the winner took the tickets home to his wife who scratched them.
“All I heard was my wife calling my name,” said the winner. “I knew something was up.”
The Montgomery County resident checked the ticket and believed it was a winner, but took it his favorite retailer to verify it. Indeed, he was holding a $50,000 winning ticket, and he immediately signed the back of it and put it away until he could claim the prize.
Asked about his plan for the winnings, he immediately mentioned his children. He plans on using it to pay for two weddings and two college tuitions.
“I am just trying to be a good father,” he smiled. He also plans to use some of the prize to pay off medical bills.
The $20 Instant Millionaire ticket launched on Feb. 23, and one of its $1 million top prizes has not yet been claimed. Three $50,000 prizes also remain unclaimed.