Aberdeen IT worker scores $50K top prize on Maryland Lottery scratch-off
ABERDEEN, MD — A Harford County man’s casual stop at a liquor store on his way home turned into a $50,000 payday after a single $5 scratch-off ticket revealed one of the top prizes in the Maryland Lottery’s Cash Scratch Fever game.
The winner, an IT professional who says he only plays a couple of times a year, purchased the ticket at Beards Hill Liquors on Beards Hill Road. At first, he believed the ticket wasn’t worth anything after scratching only the bonus section, which read “please try again.”
Once home, he continued scratching and initially thought he had won $5,000. But when he scanned the ticket with the Maryland Lottery app, he discovered nine $5,000 prizes plus a flame symbol that multiplied another $1,000 prize by five — adding up to $50,000.
He claimed the top prize on Monday and said the money will go toward home improvements, his daughter’s college fund, and savings.
Beards Hill Liquors will receive a $500 bonus for selling the winning ticket.
Cash Scratch Fever launched on July 18 with seven top prizes of $50,000. This Aberdeen win marks the second claimed, leaving five still in circulation.
—
Key Points
- Harford County IT professional won $50,000 on a $5 Cash Scratch Fever scratch-off
- Ticket was purchased at Beards Hill Liquors in Aberdeen, which earns a $500 bonus
- Five more $50,000 top prizes remain unclaimed in the game
