Severn man wins $1 million maryland lottery prize after act of kindness in grocery store line — Severn man wins $1 million Maryland Lottery prize after act of kindness in grocery store line

A stranger’s thank-you gift of scratch-off tickets turns into a life-changing win for local resident.

SEVERN, MD – A simple act of kindness at a Walmart in Severn has turned one Maryland man into a millionaire. Ryan, who asked that his last name not be released, won a $1 million top prize on the Maryland Lottery’s new $1,000,000 Crossword scratch-off after letting another shopper go ahead of him in the checkout line.

Key Points

The winning $1,000,000 Crossword ticket was given to Ryan as a thank-you gesture by a stranger.
The Severn man discovered the life-changing win after scanning the ticket at a vending machine.
The Walmart where the exchange happened receives a $1,000 retailer bonus.

Ryan said he was shopping for his mother at the Walmart on George Clauss Boulevard when he let a woman behind him check out first. In appreciation, she gifted him two Maryland Lottery scratch-off tickets. When he scanned them later, one returned a “see lottery” message—indicating a major prize.

“I thought I had won $10,000,” Ryan said. “Then I realized I was off by a factor of 100.”

A wedding gift and a new beginning

Ryan and his fiancée, who are getting married in the coming weeks, said the unexpected win couldn’t have come at a better time. “We were stressing about the wedding and other things, but we stayed positive,” he said. The couple plans to use the money to buy two new cars and save for the future.

The $1,000,000 Crossword is the Maryland Lottery’s first $25 scratch-off game, launched earlier this month with four top prizes of $1 million. Three of those top prizes remain unclaimed, along with 10 second-tier prizes worth $100,000 each.

Tags: Maryland Lottery, Severn, lottery winner

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