First to claim Ultimate Cash game’s top prize
Highs #017 in West River is one of several Lottery retailers that he visits each week to purchase scratch-offs, the Anne Arundel County man told Lottery officials. Having provided him with a $100,000 top-prize winning instant ticket, the convenience store is now officially his favorite.
A daily player and instant ticket devotee, the resident of a small town south of Annapolis experienced something he never had before on the day he bought the lucky $10 Ultimate Cash scratch-off. “I picked it randomly, no rhyme or reason,” he said. Upon scratching off his instant ticket outside in the car, the HVAC technician discovered a $15 win. He was about to drive off when a feeling hit him out of the blue.
“Something told me to go back in and get one more Ultimate Cash ticket. It had never happened before, that feeling. I was about to pull out of the parking spot but just sat there. That’s how strong the feeling was.”
Returning to the store and then to his car, the 68-year-old couldn’t believe his eyes when he revealed the $100,000 top prize. “It had to be fake, I thought.”
Very near to retirement, the winner said his mind went straight to just how much the prize will help secure the next years of his life. “Whatever financial worries I had about retirement were just about gone when I realized how much I’d won. It’s a good feeling.”
Ultimate Cash debuted in June with eight $100,000 top prizes. Seven of them remain as well as seven of the 10 original $50,000 second-tier prizes and 34 of the original 58 $10,000 prizes. Lucky High’s #017 at 4700 Muddy Creek Road will receive a $1,000 bonus from the Lottery for selling the top-prize winning instant ticket.