BETHESDA, MD – A Washington, D.C. woman’s morning routine turned into a moment of surprise when she hit the first $50,000 top prize on the Maryland Lottery’s new Jurassic Park scratch-off game.
The lucky player stopped at Crescent Convenience on Wisconsin Avenue late last month before heading to her housekeeping job. She picked up three $5 tickets simply because they were new.
After scratching them in the store, she thought she had won just $50 — until the cashier scanned her ticket.
“I was shocked when he said it was really $50,000,” she told lottery officials when she claimed her prize Monday in Baltimore.
Calm reaction to big win
Despite the unexpected jackpot, the player remained composed. She tucked the winning ticket into her wallet, went to work as usual, and later showed a friend who accompanied her to Maryland Lottery headquarters to collect her winnings.
“She was very nonchalant about it,” the friend said, laughing. “I was more excited than she was.”
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Bonus for the retailer
Crescent Convenience at 7475 Wisconsin Avenue will receive a $500 retailer bonus for selling the top-prize ticket.
The winner plans to use her windfall for home improvements.
Second-chance rewards still available
Non-winning Jurassic Park scratch-offs can still be entered into the Maryland Lottery’s My Lottery Rewards second-chance promotion for a trip to Oahu, Hawaii. Trip winners will also get a shot at the $1,000,000 Jackpot Challenge grand prize.
The odds may have been prehistoric, but this Bethesda stop proved that luck can roar when you least expect it.