A casual stop for fried chicken turned into an unforgettable moment for a longtime Maryland Lottery player who scratched his way to a $1 million prize on the 100X the Cash scratch-off.
The winner, who has been playing Lottery games for more than 30 years, says he’s enjoyed his share of success over the decades, including two previous $50,000 prizes and a $10,000 prize just a few weeks ago.
The longtime player said March 18 when he claimed the prize he plays when he feels lucky or has some extra time. His favorite games include Keno and scratch-offs.
His persistence paid off during a recent visit to the Royal Farms at 1526 Rock Spring Road in Forest Hill. While enjoying the store’s famous fried chicken, he decided to buy two 100X the Cash tickets.
Those first two tickets won him $50. He used the winnings to buy two more tickets, which returned the same amount. Feeling confident, he used those winnings to purchase that final winning ticket, which gave him a $1 million top prize.
When Lottery officials asked why he kept playing the game that day, the winner said, “Scratch-offs are fun in general, and I’ve had small success. On top of that, I was on a streak and had time to kill.”
He said the moment he realized what he had was unforgettable.
“I was shocked,” he said. “At first, I thought it was $1,000, but when I looked closer, I realized it was $1 million. I left the store laughing and in a rush. I even left my food behind because I was so happy. I ran to my car to call my kids.”
The winner plans to use his prize to pay off the remaining balance on his mortgage and set aside money for his children.
As for his future Lottery plans, he says nothing will change.
“I’ll always play,” he said. “It’s fun at this age, and I seem to be fortunate.”
The Royal Farms will receive a bonus of $1,000 for selling the $1 million-winning scratch-off.
