SALISBURY, MARYLAND – A long-held dream has come true for Delaware resident Michael Pendexter, who won a $100,000 top prize playing the Maryland Lottery’s $100,000 Crossword game. Pendexter, a Kent County father, was on a break from his job as a meter reader when he followed a gut feeling and purchased two scratch-off tickets, one of which turned out to be life-changing.
“I was scratching off the letters and lost track of how many words I had,” Pendexter recalled. When he realized he had revealed 10 words, he knew he had hit the top prize.
Excited but calm, he scanned the ticket at the store, receiving confirmation of his win. He quickly shared the news with his wife, Carrie, through a text that read, “I won the biggest amount of my life.” The couple, parents of four adult children, plan to use the winnings to buy a new home and car.
The lucky ticket was purchased at Country Farm in Salisbury, which will receive a $1,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket. Michael’s win is the first of 10 top prizes in the 8th edition of the $100,000 Crossword game, leaving nine top prizes still up for grabs.