CHESTER, Md. — A Queen Anne’s County woman turned her love of crossword puzzles into a $50,000 payday after winning the top prize on the Maryland Lottery’s Deluxe Crossword 9th Edition scratch-off, officials announced Monday.
The retired housekeeper was at home when she checked her $5 ticket and discovered she had matched four red words and four black words — the combination needed to secure the game’s top prize. Her excitement reportedly caught her daughter’s attention.
“I was happy. I screamed ‘I won. I won’ but my daughter didn’t believe it,” the winner recalled, according to the Maryland Lottery.
The winning ticket was purchased at Dominion Exxon, located at 100 Dominion Road in Chester. The retailer will receive a $500 bonus for selling the top-prize ticket.
The woman, a longtime scratch-off player, said she plans to use the money to help her family and to buy her husband a car. “He was so happy that I told him I was going to buy him a car,” she said.
Two top prizes remain for Deluxe Crossword
Deluxe Crossword 9th Edition launched in September 2024 with eight top prizes of $50,000. This latest win marks the sixth top prize claimed, leaving two still in circulation. The game also includes smaller prizes ranging from $5 to $10,000.
