OCEAN CITY, MD – Christopher Hudson, a 30-year-old retail worker and part-time landscaper from Delaware, claimed the first top prize of $100,000 in Maryland Lottery’s Crossword 7th Edition scratch-off game. Hudson, who rarely purchases scratch-off tickets, decided to buy one while on a break at an Ocean City 7-Eleven.
“I barely play scratch-offs,” Hudson said, but noted that he bought the ticket because he “just had a lucky feeling.”
Upon scratching the ticket and scanning it for a win at the same 7-Eleven, Hudson was astounded. “I was seeing stars when I saw that $100,000,” he said. After making the discovery, he called his fiancée, Claudia Taylor, who works nearby, and asked her to take the ticket home for safekeeping.
“I was freaking out waiting for her,” Hudson added. Taylor was initially skeptical: “He calls me and, at first, I thought he was making it up,” she said.
The win is a significant step up from Hudson’s and Taylor’s previous biggest win of $1,400 at a Delaware casino. They plan to use the prize money to change their lives substantially. Hudson aims to double the size of his 30-customer landscaping business by buying more equipment.
“This is perfect timing,” Taylor said.
For selling the winning ticket, the 7-Eleven store located at 13900 Coastal Highway in Ocean City will receive a $1,000 bonus from the Maryland Lottery. The Crossword 7th Edition game, which was launched this summer, still has seven top prizes of $100,000 and a dozen $10,000 prizes remaining.