BALTIMORE, Md. – A 91-year-old Baltimore woman recently claimed a $50,000 prize after playing the $5 Money Maker scratch-off. The winner stopped by Lottery headquarters on March 30 to claim her prize and share the story behind her exciting win.
She has been playing scratch-offs since the early days of the Maryland Lottery. Over the years, she recalls winning smaller prizes, but the joy she felt from her very first win left a lasting impression and kept her coming back to play from time to time. With decades of experience, she says she doesn’t follow any specific strategy she simply enjoys the fun of scratching tickets.
“This is definitely my biggest win,” she said.
Although the win was unexpected, the longtime player said she was thrilled by the surprise. On the day she bought the lucky ticket, she stopped at a Shell station with her niece and picked up a handful of random scratch-offs to play throughout the week.
When she arrived home, she scratched the Money Maker ticket and was “stunned” to discover the $50,000 prize. Wanting to be sure of what she was seeing, she asked her niece to verify the ticket and the big win was confirmed.
The $50,000 winning ticket was purchased at the Shell station at 7001 Liberty Road in Baltimore. For selling the top-prize-winning ticket, the retailer will receive a $500 bonus.
The winner said she plans to use her prize to invest back into her community by donating to her church and helping family members financially.
As for her future Lottery plans, she says she has no intention of stopping anytime soon.
“Playing the scratch-offs are fun and it keeps me busy,” she said.