Carroll County mom wins $50K scratch-off prize after sudden lottery impulse
WESTMINSTER, MD — A quick grocery run turned into a life-changing moment for a Carroll County woman who says a sudden urge to buy lottery tickets led to a $50,000 win on a scratch-off game.
The Westminster resident, who rarely plays the lottery, told Maryland Lottery officials she felt “something” push her to spend $20 on scratch-offs at the Weis Markets store located at 630 Baltimore Boulevard. Among the four $5 tickets she bought was a Festive Fortune game — which turned out to hold the game’s first $50,000 top prize.
“It’s a grocery trip I make every week,” the woman explained when claiming her prize on Wednesday, but added that buying tickets is far from routine for her. “I get one every once in a while,” she said.
That day, though, she said a strong feeling nudged her to buy more than usual. Despite initially hesitating, she went through with the purchase — and the decision paid off.
She scratched the Festive Fortune ticket first when she got home. “My hands started shaking when I saw the matching numbers,” she said. Her children thought something was wrong as she reacted to the surprise windfall.
The Festive Fortune scratch-off ticket debuted earlier this month. This was the first $50,000 prize claimed in the game, which still has seven top prizes and 12 $1,000 second-tier prizes remaining, according to the Maryland Lottery.
The winning ticket also earned the Weis Markets store a $500 retailer bonus. As for the woman, she said the prize will help create a joyful holiday season for her children.
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Key Points
- Carroll County woman won $50,000 on a $5 Festive Fortune scratch-off ticket
- The ticket was purchased at Weis Markets in Westminster during a routine grocery trip
- The prize is the first top prize claimed in the new scratch-off game
