National

Mom ‘thought the machine malfunctioned’ when it revealed her big Maryland lottery win

A 71-year-old woman won a scratch-off lottery game top prize and was in disbelief, lottery officials said.
A 71-year-old woman won a scratch-off lottery game top prize and was in disbelief, lottery officials said. Photo from Giorgio Trovato, UnSplash

A 71-year-old woman in Maryland won a scratch-off lottery game’s top prize and couldn’t believe her luck.

The woman, a resident of Baltimore, spotted a stack of Bonus Crossword scratch-off tickets at a local grocery store and decided to buy five, according to a March 28 news release from the Maryland Lottery.

She had never purchased a crossword scratch-off before but regularly plays the lottery.

After checking the winning numbers, she saw that she had won the top prize of $30,000.

“I thought it was a joke at first,” she told the Maryland Lottery. “I thought the machine malfunctioned.”

The woman intends to spend her winnings on her children and family.

“This is an amazing feeling,” she told the Maryland Lottery.

The G&A Food Market in Baltimore where she purchased the winning ticket will also be given a $300 bonus, lottery officials said.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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This story was originally published March 29, 2023 at 3:44 PM with the headline "Mom ‘thought the machine malfunctioned’ when it revealed her big Maryland lottery win."

BR
Brendan Rascius
McClatchy DC
Brendan Rascius is a McClatchy national real-time reporter covering politics and international news. He has a master’s in journalism from Columbia University and a bachelor’s in political science from Southern Connecticut State University.
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