SILVER SPRING, MD – He works at a car wash by day and plays scratch-offs by night, a Montgomery County resident told Lottery officials this week. He limits his evening fun to one instant ticket. Last week, however, a spur-of-the moment break from routine led to a $100,000 Lottery windfall and one of the happiest moments of his life.
“I was in the mood for a $10 scratch ticket so I picked $1,000 Loaded,” said the Silver Spring resident. He had won with the game in recent weeks, making it his current favorite among the Lottery’s $10 scratch-off offerings. He planned to stick with his routine and buy just one of the $1,000 Loaded games when he stopped in at Wheaton Winery in Silver Spring.
“But when the clerk handed me my ticket, I saw that there was only one left. Something told me to buy that last ticket.”
Our 70-year-old winner uncovered his $100,000 fortune later that evening, before the rest of his family returned home. Wouldn’t you know it? His winning scratch-off was not the first instant ticket but was that remaining game he couldn’t pass up.
“I was amazed, just about the happiest I’ve ever been,” he reports. “But I had to wait until my family arrived before I could really celebrate. We’re a pretty low-key group, but, boy, was that a fun night.”
The $100,000 prize will help pay off his home mortgage, he said, with the remainder available to help family members whenever assistance is needed. “I’m very happy to be in a position now to help the people I love.”
The good folks at Wheaton Winery located at 2211 University Boulevard in Silver Spring played the middleman in this fairytale story. For selling a $100,000 top-prize winning scratch-off, the Montgomery County retailer will receive a $1,000 bonus from the Lottery.