SILVER SPRING, MD – A retired educator who has been playing the Maryland Lottery since its earliest days just landed a $100,000 jackpot after trusting her instincts and choosing a scratch-off ticket sitting in the 13th spot at a Rockville convenience store.
The Montgomery County woman, who claimed the prize on Thursday at Lottery headquarters, purchased two $10 “Double Your Money” tickets from Food Stop Mini on Boiling Brook Parkway.
She said it wasn’t the ticket design that caught her attention, but its position in the display — 13 — a number she’s always felt drawn to.
After scratching off the tickets in her car, she revealed a “2X” symbol next to a $50,000 prize, which doubled to $100,000.
Stunned by the result, she returned to the store to scan the ticket and confirm the six-figure win.
The retired educator, who spent over two decades in the school system, held onto the ticket for nearly three weeks before claiming her prize, saying she plans to use the money to support her family but has no immediate spending plans for herself.
The winning scratch-off was one of the first top prizes awarded on the relatively new Double Your Money ticket, which launched in July and still has 13 top-tier $100,000 prizes unclaimed.
The ticket also offers two remaining second-tier prizes worth $50,000 each, along with tens of thousands of smaller cash awards.
Food Stop Mini, the store that sold the winning ticket, received a $1,000 bonus from the Maryland Lottery, equal to 1% of the prize amount.
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Key Points
- A retired educator from Silver Spring won $100,000 on a Double Your Money scratch-off ticket
- She chose the ticket based on its location in the display case — the 13th spot
- The game still has 13 top prizes and thousands of smaller prizes remaining
Lucky number 13 turned into a six-figure payday for one Silver Spring retiree with a sharp eye for scratch-offs.