The new SKEE-BALL® scratch-off gave Elbert Pahl of Baltimore a $30,000 top prize.
Baltimore man claims top prize on $3 instant ticket
Playing the Lottery’s SKEE-BALL® scratch-off was a little trickier — and far more financially rewarding — than it first looked for Elbert Pahl of Baltimore. The experienced instant ticket player initially thought he won $50, but a closer inspection raised doubts. Could he have won the game’s $30,000 top prize? The answer: Yes!
Elbert has played scratch-offs for decades, he said, practically since they first went on sale. The 75-year-old, who also plays Pick 3, favors $5 and $10 instant tickets but liked the look of the $3 SKEE-BALL® scratch-off he spotted at Royal Farms #006 in Baltimore City. The game went on sale March 21. “The new game looked interesting to me so I got one,” he said.
On April 18, the loyal player bought the SKEE-BALL® scratch-off and took it home to play. The first time he added up the points in the game’s play area, Elbert came up with a $50 win because he didn’t correctly tally points from all of the matching numbers. “I was happy with that,” he said of the $50 prize. Then, Elbert reviewed the game’s design and realized an even bigger prize could be coming his way.
He went to work the next day at Old Line Custom Meat Company in Baltimore, where he is a supervisor, and then stopped at a different Royal Farms store on the way home to scan his game. The message said to see the retailer so he asked a store employee to scan the instant ticket. “She got big eyes,” he said, and told me, “We can’t cash it here!”
His wife and son were both home Tuesday night when Elbert shared his fabulous news with the dubious pair. “I had to produce the ticket and then they believed me,” he said.
On April 20, Elbert sat in the Lottery Winner’s Circle, all smiles after claiming his $30,000 top prize. “Pretty good for a $3 game,” he said. In addition to telling his family about the prize, Elbert had already shared news of his $30,000 scratch-off win with others.
“I told everybody,” he said. “I had to let it loose.” His co-workers jokingly suggested he take them all out for a meal but his plans for his prize are simple: “I’m going to bank it.”
His lucky retailer also benefits. For selling a $30,000 top-prize winning scratch-off, Royal Farms #006 located at 3635 Keswick Road in Baltimore City earns a $300 bonus from the Lottery.
