Lunch run turns lucky as chestertown man wins $50,000 on scratch-off

CHESTERTOWN, MD — A Chestertown man’s routine lunch break turned into a life-changing moment after he followed a suggestion from his father and bought a Maryland Lottery scratch-off ticket, ultimately winning a $50,000 prize.

The Eastern Shore resident visited Maryland Lottery headquarters on Tuesday to claim his prize from the Money Rush scratch-off game. The $10 ticket, launched in July 2024, still has five top prizes of $100,000 and now just three $50,000 second-tier prizes remaining after this latest win.

The winner said the idea to purchase a ticket wasn’t his own. “My dad told me to get a scratch-off ticket while I was out,” he recalled. Though not a regular lottery player himself, he heeded the advice while picking up lunch at Suds-N-Soda, a convenience store on Washington Avenue.

Unsure of which ticket to choose, he asked the clerk for a recommendation. “When I asked the guy at the counter which ticket had been winning for people, he pointed to Money Rush. That’s what I went with,” he said. The man scratched the ticket later that day at home, surrounded by family.

“I almost screamed when I saw the $50,000 match. I had to cover my mouth with my hand,” he said, describing the scene as his family broke into celebration while he sat in stunned silence.

Sudden win leaves store buzzing with excitement

The winning ticket was purchased at Suds-N-Soda, a Lottery retailer located at 1014 Washington Avenue in Chestertown. The store is now one of several local vendors where recent big wins have occurred in Maryland.

Though he has no immediate plans for the prize money, the winner confirmed that it was the most he had ever won from the Lottery. The Maryland Lottery reported that three of the original four $50,000 second-tier prizes in the Money Rush game remain.

The game continues to attract attention from new players due to the number of large prizes still in circulation. The clerk’s tip, combined with the father’s encouragement, proved instrumental in the man’s decision to buy a ticket that day.

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