“Baby Grand” of Queen Anne’s County didn’t realize her Deluxe Crossword scratch-off was a $50,000 winner until after she scanned her ticket on the Maryland Lottery app.
Winner thought she only won $75 until she scanned the ticket
An Eastern Shore woman shows why you should always double check your tickets. After thinking she won a small prize, she scanned her ticket and it turned out to be a $50,000 Deluxe Crossword top-prize winning ticket.
The big winner, who used the nickname “Baby Grand” while claiming the prize, likes to play crossword and bingo scratch-offs since the extended-play tickets build excitement and help to pass the time.
“Baby Grand” originally thought she only matched three black words and two red words for a $75 prize, but she missed some additional words.
“After I finish scratching my tickets, I always get out my phone and scan them on the Lottery app,” she explained.
That was a smart move. When “Baby Grand” scanned the ticket, she saw she won the top prize. She looked at the ticket again and saw that she missed three words. “Baby Grand” actually had four red words and four black words to secure the $50,000 prize.
“I was in shock. I didn’t believe it. I scanned it 10 times to make sure,” she told Lottery officials.
The medical worker plans to use her prize to pay off bills and put the rest in the bank.
The winning ticket was sold at Chester Exxon at 120 Chester Station Lane in Queen Anne’s County. The Eastern Shore retailer will receive a $500 bonus for selling the winning scratch-off.
Deluxe Crossword went on sale on Sept. 18, 2023 and “Baby Grand” is the fifth top-prize winner on the game. Three $50,000 prizes remain unclaimed. There are also eight $10,000 prizes unclaimed along with prizes ranging from $5 to 1,000.
