Claims second-tier prize on Money Rush scratch-off
A Mt. Airy man who transitioned from playing cards to playing the Maryland Lottery decades ago after retiring from the U.S. Army had a reserved reaction to winning $50,000 on a scratch-off.
“You’ve got to do a lot to excite me, and money is not one of the things that excites me,” he said this week as he claimed his prize at Maryland Lottery headquarters. All the same, he enjoys playing. His win came on the $10 Money Rush scratch-off, which has a top prize of $100,000.
“I didn’t get into the Lottery until after I retired from the service,” he said. In his Army days, the Lottery was not an option as he was stationed at Fort Sill in Oklahoma, a state that did not have a lottery at the time. Playing cards was the main option, he said, because off post, any kind of gambling was held in low regard.
These days, he’s strictly a Lottery player and no longer tries his luck at card games or casinos.
He still only plays using discretionary money and never has trouble meeting his financial responsibilities. “I just like doing it,” he said of playing the Lottery.
When he realized he had won, his reaction was deadpan, according to his youngest daughter, who accompanied him to Lottery headquarters. Asked about his plans for the prize, the veteran said he hadn’t given it much thought. His daughter mentioned, “Maybe I’ll get a little bit of it.” The dad affirmed that she, his youngest, as well as his other three grown children, would not be forgotten.
He bought the winning instant ticket at the Walmart at 6721 Chesapeake Center Drive in Glen Burnie.
The Money Rush instant ticket went on sale on July 22 and, to date, four of its second-tier $50,000 prizes have been claimed. That leaves seven in circulation. In addition, six of the original nine top prizes of $100,000 remain unclaimed.
