UPPER MARLBORO, MD – A Prince George’s County woman who nearly dismissed a call from lottery officials is now celebrating a $75,000 windfall after being selected in a second-chance promotion tied to non-winning scratch-off tickets. Yvonne Hodge of Upper Marlboro claimed the grand prize from the Maryland Lottery’s X the Cash promotion, turning what she thought was a routine entry into a significant payout.
Hodge said the moment came as a surprise after she entered several non-winning tickets into her My Lottery Rewards account, a program that gives players additional chances to win. “It was something that I never expected. I’m glad my name popped up,” Yvonne said.
Skepticism nearly costs winner a claim
Despite being notified by a Lottery official, Hodge initially doubted the legitimacy of the win. The retired retail worker said she hesitated to believe the news until her husband urged her to take it seriously.
“Seventy-five thousand dollars is too much money to ignore,” her husband said with a smile.
The couple verified the win themselves by visiting the Maryland Lottery website, where they found Hodge’s name listed among the winners on the X the Cash promotion page. Only after confirming the information did she move forward with claiming the prize.
Plans for the winnings and ongoing promotion
Hodge, a mother of four adult children, said the money will go toward helping her daughter, with the remainder set aside for savings. Her win marks one of the top prizes awarded through the second-chance drawing connected to the X the Cash scratch-off series.
The Maryland Lottery reported that four additional winners previously claimed $50,000 prizes during the same promotion. The X the Cash series, which launched Jan. 9, includes scratch-off tickets ranging in price from $1 to $30 and offers top prizes of up to $2 million.
Lottery officials say players can continue entering eligible non-winning tickets into the My Lottery Rewards program as more prizes remain available.
