There are two new millionaires in Maryland, thanks to the Maryland Lottery.
A husband and father of two who goes by “Bear” had something to be extra thankful for this holiday season.
Cash is king at the Maryland Lottery
The Carrol County resident purchased the Cash is King scratch-off at the Jiffy Mart in Westminster. The next morning, he discovered his $30 Maryland Lottery ticket turned into a $2 million windfall.
“I won on a $30 ticket before, but this time there were a lot more zeroes. It was jaw-dropping when I learned how much I won.”
Bear, who works as a construction subcontractor, is unsure how he will spend his winnings.
The Cash is King game debuted on Sept. 19 with five top prizes of $2 million. Four more tickets are still out there waiting to be claimed.
Million-dollar mega multiplier
Meanwhile in Maryland, a Charles County resident won $1 million with a ticket he purchased in Upper Marlboro.
After work, the 44-year-old father of two played stopped into Tucker’s Liquors and Restaurant. Having won a couple of tickets already, he noticed the Million Dollar Mega Multiplier game and “liked the way it looked.”
He slowly scratched off the ticket:
“I looked down again and saw $1 million. I was in shock. I walked back and forth for a minute. I did some pacing.”
After quietly asking the employee to confirm his win, the clerk replied:
“You have to go to Baltimore!”
Once he phoned his wife, the new winner drove with one hand on the wheel and one hand on his ticket all the way to his mother’s house. After showing her the ticket, he told her he would be using his winnings to purchase her a new home. The remainder would be used for savings and investments.
After returning home, he locked the ticket in his safe until he could make the trip to Baltimore. Winners of prizes over $25,000 must make an appointment to claim their prize at the Maryland Lottery Customer Resource Center in Baltimore.
Tucker’s Liquor and Restaurant is also a winner. For selling the winning ticket, the business receives a $1,000 bonus.
The Million Dollar Mega Multiplier game was released on July 18, and five top prize tickets of $1 million still remain unclaimed — in addition to countless other prizes ranging from $20 to $50,000.
Billion-dollar Maryland Lottery sales
These two may be the newest millionaires in Maryland, but they’re far from the only winners. For Fiscal Year 2022 (July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022), scratch-off tickets reached over $1 billion in sales, passing the previous 2021 record by over $16 million.
Lottery ticket profits have contributed over $673 million to state programs. Proceeds go to the Maryland General Fund, which provides funding for education programs, public health and safety services, and more.
While scratch-off tickets are breaking sales records, they’re not the only game in town. Powerball and Mega Millions offer multiple drawings each week, while Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5 have daily midday and evening drawings.
Maryland Lottery games are available for play at over 4,000 retail locations across the state.
