Claims top prize on Twisted Treasures scratch-off
A Capitol Heights man who devotes his days to working with water pipes and water meters discovered a gusher of a win playing the Maryland Lottery’s Twisted Treasures scratch-off. The loyal player, who made Twisted Treasures his game of choice earlier this year, unearthed its $30,000 top prize!
“I was floored,” said the Prince George’s County resident.
Lottery luck found the bachelor last week. He was headed home after a funeral when he stopped at his favorite Lottery retailer, Central Avenue Restaurant & Liquors in Capitol Heights, to buy a beer and his favorite $3 scratch-off.
“I scratched it when I got home,” he said. “I went over the ticket twice. I said, ‘Nah,’ and I looked at it and I looked at it again and I set it down on the sofa. I wanted to be sure I wasn’t seeing things.”
The happy man took the scratch-off to a corner store, where he scanned it and confirmed his win. The 57-year-old then took the ticket to an Expanded Cashing Authority Program retailer only to discover the store’s Lottery cashing limit was $5,000. Because the Lottery was closed for the long Labor Day holiday weekend, the scratch-off fan had no choice but to wait to claim his prize.
“I kept extremely quiet,” he said, explaining that he has only told one co-worker about his win. “It seemed like time was slowing down until I could come here.” The days passed slowly. “I hid the ticket in a drawer in my bedroom and stayed at home all weekend,” he said. The winner plans to pay off bills with his prize and spend the rest on a cruise vacation.
Also a winner is the Prince George’s County retailer which sold him the winning top-prize ticket. Central Avenue Restaurant & Liquors at 1 Yost Place in Capitol Heights will receive a $300 bonus from the Lottery. The scratch-off has four unclaimed top-prize tickets in Maryland stores along with 19 $1,000 winners.