BALTIMORE, Md. — A Baltimore man known as “Winky” is celebrating a $50,000 win after his loyalty to the Money Drop scratch-off game paid off in a big way. The warehouse worker, who focuses his Lottery play on one instant ticket at a time, struck it big with a second-tier prize on the $10 Money Drop scratch-off.
“Winky,” who often buys scratch-offs on his way to work, purchased two Money Drop tickets last week at Brooklyn Grocery on Hanover Street in Baltimore. When he returned a few days later, he noticed that the next sequential ticket in the series, number 20, was still available. Trusting his instincts, he decided to buy it.
“I said, ‘I need that ticket,’” he recalled.
After purchasing the ticket, “Winky” followed his usual routine of scratching off all his numbers and the winning numbers without checking the prizes right away. Although none of his numbers matched the winning numbers, he did reveal an “autowin” symbol, which guarantees a prize. To his surprise, the prize beneath the symbol was $50,000.
“When I saw that $50,000, I didn’t believe it. I still don’t believe it,” “Winky” said, smiling widely.
A dedicated Ravens fan, “Winky” plans to use his winnings to move and purchase a new car. He credits his unique method of scratching off tickets, using a pencil from the store rather than a typical scratcher or coin, for his Lottery luck.
The Money Drop scratch-off game, which went on sale on December 28, 2023, still has five of eight top prizes of $100,000 available. “Winky” is now the fourth person to win the $50,000 second-tier prize, leaving six more of those prizes unclaimed, along with others ranging from $10 to $10,000.
Brooklyn Grocery, located at 3570 Hanover Street, is where “Winky” purchased his winning ticket and continues to be his favorite spot for Lottery play.
