Fort Washington woman claims taxes-paid $50,000 Payday Doubler prize
A retired federal government employee delivered a scratch-off worth $50,000 to Maryland Lottery headquarters on Wednesday, saying its purchase resulted from the nickels, dimes and quarters she finds in her purse at the end of the day. The Prince George’s County resident plays several times each week – always instant tickets – and wins more often than not. Wins, yes. But a $50,000 prize? Not in her wildest dreams.
“Whenever I buy anything — groceries, coffee, lunch — there’s change. A dollar here, 50 cents there, it adds up.” She sets those coins and dollar bills aside for her scratch-off fun. “Sometimes I feel like a $1 ticket, sometimes a $5 and once in a while, a $20 or $30 (one),” she said. “I just wait until I collect enough change, no matter how long it takes.”
The 70-year-old found herself in the mood for a $5 scratch-off and stopped in at Modern Liquors in Temple Hills. “I had enough for two, so I bought the first two $5 tickets I saw,” said the Fort Washington scratch-off fan. Luckily, for her, the winning Payday Doubler game first caught her eye.
Scratching off the game later at home in a room full of family, she suddenly blurted out, “I’ve got $5,000!” Her heart was beating in overdrive and she held up her hand to stop the crowd from converging. The loyal player continued to scratch off the game. “Then there was another $5,000 and then another.” When the matches finally stopped – her brother next to her was counting – they totaled $50,000, the game’s top prize. “The house was fun last (Tuesday) night,” she said with a smile.
Along with her prize, our winner received another surprise at Lottery headquarters. The Lottery covers the taxes on all Payday Doubler top prizes so she won a full $50,000! Upon hearing this news, that smile on our Wednesday winner widened even further. That gives her even more money to pay bills.
“This will clear me of debt completely,” she said, “wipe out all of those bills that I’ve been worried about. That’ll be one heck of a weight off of my shoulders.”
The Payday Doubler game debuted the day after Christmas and has been passing out gifts ever since. Three more $50,000 top prizes await discovery along with thousands of others ranging from $5 to $5,000.
And, there’s more good news — her lucky Lottery retailer shares in her fun! For selling a top-prize scratch-off in the game, Modern Liquors located at 2358 Iverson Street earns a $500 bonus from the Lottery. Congratulations!