53-year-old lottery player knew ticket ‘was a winner’ right away, Maryland officials say

A woman “knew right away” that her Maryland Lottery scratch-off “was a winner” but was still shocked by the the sum, officials said.

Juana Arriola, 53, of Frederick County, had $20 and “decided to pick a mix of scratch-off games to play,” according to a March 27 news release by the Maryland Lottery.

Arriola, originally from Honduras, chose seven scratch-off tickets and instantly knew she had won with a Lucky Times 10 ticket but didn’t know she’d scored a $100,000 prize, officials said.

“I knew right away it was a winner,” Arriola told lottery officials, “but I couldn’t believe it was for $100,000!”

After double-checking her win with the cashier, the woman left the Waverly Beer & Wine in Frederick to tell her sister and three sons the good news, officials said.

She “signed her instant ticket and hid it beneath her bed until she claimed the prize,” according to the release.

Arriola plans to use the winnings to buy her parents a new home in Honduras and save the rest, officials said.

“I am so happy,” Arriola told officials. “I honestly can’t describe this kind of happiness.”

Frederick is about 50 miles northwest of Baltimore.

This story was originally published March 28, 2023 at 2:43 PM with the headline "53-year-old lottery player knew ticket ‘was a winner’ right away, Maryland officials say."