GERMANTOWN, Md. — A Germantown resident has claimed the first $50,000 top prize in Maryland Lottery’s new Holiday Luck Doubler game, turning a casual scratch-off purchase into a life-changing win just in time for the holiday season.
The anonymous winner, who chose the nickname “Blessing from Above” for publicity purposes, was grocery shopping at the Safeway on Germantown Road when she cashed a $100 prize from a previous Pick 4 game and decided to buy two Holiday Luck Doubler scratch-off tickets. Her second ticket revealed the $50,000 top prize.
“I knew right away because I matched one of the winning numbers,” she told Maryland Lottery officials. Overwhelmed with excitement, she immediately texted a picture of the winning ticket to her best friend, with whom she regularly plays scratch-offs. The friend, who says they often joke about winning big, recalled the moment she saw the message: “I screamed and called her right away.”
“Blessing from Above,” a medical worker, said she was so overcome that she could not drive. She plans to use the winnings to help family members, pay bills, and possibly take a trip.
The retailer, Safeway #1579, will also benefit from the sale of the winning ticket, receiving a $500 bonus from the Maryland Lottery.
The Holiday Luck Doubler game, which launched in October, offers six top prizes of $50,000, with five still unclaimed. The scratch-off game also includes 17 remaining $5,000 prizes, as well as other prizes ranging from $5 to $1,000.