‘Cherished family tradition' leads woman to life-changing Maryland lottery win

Miami Herald

5 days ago

For a Maryland woman, playing lottery games isn't just a hobby — 'it's a cherished family tradition.'
'I've been playing since I became old enough,' the woman said in a May 30 Maryland Lottery news release. 'Growing up, I remember my mother playing regularly. She was always lucky and used to talk about winning enough one day to retire.'
And now, after scoring a life-changing win, the woman found herself in 'a full circle moment that brought back fond memories of her mom's dreams,' lottery officials said.
To avoid traffic, the Randallstown woman left early for a meeting and made a 'spur-of-the-moment stop at a gas station in Annapolis,' lottery officials said.
She bought some lottery tickets but didn't have any winners, she told lottery officials.
'Then I tried a $20 MONOPOLY ticket and won my money back,' she said in the release. 'I figured my luck was running out, but decided to buy one more.'
The lottery player tried her luck on a $20 Lucky 777 ticket, officials said.
After her meeting wrapped up, the woman said she scratched the ticket's barcode and scanned it using the lottery app on her phone.
She was 'floored,' lottery officials said.
'I saw the word 'winner' pop up, but then I saw the amount. I just froze,' the winner told lottery officials. 'I had to catch my breath.'
The woman said she invited her mother over for dinner 'to share the incredible news.'
'She was speechless, which is rare,' the daughter said.
The woman said she plans to use her winnings to 'plan for retirement and spoil her two beloved dogs,' lottery officials said.
Annapolis is about a 30-mile drive south from Baltimore.