SILVER SPRING, Md. — A casual night out in Montgomery County turned into a life-changing surprise for a longtime lottery-playing couple after an unplanned stop at a Silver Spring store led to a $100,000 scratch-off jackpot.
The pair, who claimed the prize Monday at Maryland Lottery headquarters in Baltimore, said they bought the winning Red 5’s Doubler ticket on impulse after dinner while walking through a parking garage near Wayne Avenue.
“I didn’t know what to feel,” one of the winners told Maryland Lottery officials. “Utter shock. Just impossible to believe.”
The couple said they had not played Lottery games in quite some time despite regularly buying tickets over the years.
Quick Stop After Dinner Turns Into Jackpot Win
According to Maryland Lottery officials, the couple was heading back to their vehicle when they passed Convenience Express, a liquor store that also sells lottery tickets.
“When I saw the jackpot signs the urge hit me,” the winner said.
The spontaneous decision quickly paid off.
The couple entered the store and each selected a scratch-off ticket before returning to scratch them together. One ticket produced a modest $20 prize, but the second ticket — a $10 Red 5’s Doubler scratch-off — revealed the game’s top $100,000 prize.
The unexpected win transformed what had started as a routine dinner outing into one of the biggest lottery moments of their lives.
Key Points
• A Silver Spring couple won a $100,000 Maryland Lottery scratch-off jackpot
• The winning ticket was purchased after an impulse stop following dinner
• The top-prize Red 5’s Doubler ticket was sold at Convenience Express on Wayne Avenue
Winning Ticket Sold at Montgomery County Store
The jackpot-winning ticket was purchased at Convenience Express, located at 948 Wayne Avenue in Silver Spring.
Maryland Lottery officials said the Montgomery County retailer will receive a $1,000 bonus for selling the top-prize ticket.
Red 5’s Doubler launched in December 2025 as a $10 instant scratch-off game. Lottery officials said three of the game’s original nine $100,000 top prizes remain unclaimed statewide.
Four additional $20,000 prizes are also still available.
The winners did not publicly disclose plans for the money, but officials said the couple remained stunned by the unexpected windfall when they arrived in Baltimore to claim the prize.
The Maryland Lottery regularly highlights unplanned or spur-of-the-moment ticket purchases that result in large payouts, though top-prize scratch-off wins remain relatively rare.
For the Montgomery County couple, a quick detour after dinner became a six-figure surprise they said they never saw coming.
