He generally gets scratch-offs with change from buying a soda or snack at a convenience store or with proceeds from small Maryland Lottery wins. That strategy paid off to the tune of $50,000 this week for a Berlin player.
The Eastern Shore man’s previous top win was a $500 payday, he said, while claiming his prize this week at Maryland Lottery headquarters in Baltimore.
His big win occurred during a recent stop at Express Mart in Salisbury. The 50-year-old had two winning instant tickets to cash for prizes of $5 and $50. He put the $50 in his pocket and used the $5 to buy a Ca$h Payout instant ticket. The Worcester County resident scratched it in the store and the number on his first square matched one of the winning numbers for $5,000. Then, he found a second match and then, a third match. By the time he finished playing the scratch-off, the lucky player had scored the $50,000 top prize on the instant ticket.
“Everyone in the store was cheering!” he said.
The winning experience was a thrill, but the player has practical plans for the proceeds. “It’s going right to bills to get debt free.” There will, however, be a celebration as he plans to take his colleagues out for a meal.
Sharing in the player’s good fortune is Express Mart. The Wicomico County store located at 617 North Salisbury Boulevard picks up a $500 bonus, equal to 1% of the prize, for selling a top-prize winning scratch-off.