Also first to claim top prize on Mega Bucks game
She has thought about buying tickets in the past, a Charles County woman told Lottery officials, but one thing kept her from taking the plunge. As luck would have it, the planets aligned earlier last week, putting her at the right gas station at the right time. The result: the very first Lottery ticket she ever purchased was a $100,000 top-prize winner.
“I almost never carry cash,” the rookie player explained. “If I’d had cash in my purse those other times the thought popped into my mind, I would have gotten one. But I never did.”
Friday afternoon found her at US Fuel in Waldorf. “I was paying for the gas with cash when I noticed the Lottery signs.” Using change from her purchase, the Southern Maryland woman picked out Mega Bucks, a $10 instant game that debuted in late November. “I had a $10 bill and it was the first $10 ticket I saw.”
Scratching off her ticket that evening, she saw what looked like a match. “I didn’t want to get too excited,” she told officials. “It was the first game I’d ever played. Maybe I wasn’t reading the rules correctly.” Inviting a nearby family member to drive over and take a look, she was soon assured that she had won the game’s $100,000 top prize. “I was shocked. My palms started sweating. I just could not believe it.”
This top-prize win is Mega Bucks’ first. Eight more $100,000 winners await discovery at Lottery retailers, along with nine $50,000 second-tier prizes. Management at US Fuel, located at 2050 Crain Highway received a $1,000 bonus from the Lottery for selling the top-prize winning scratch-off.
“All of my life,” the new player and new winner told us, “People have told me that I’m unlucky. This proves them all wrong.”
