Top-prize win on $100,000 Lucky game will help with hospital bills
A Harford County man who spent his career in the mail delivery business got a special delivery of his own this week – a $100,000 scratch-off prize.
The U.S. Postal Service retiree visited Lottery headquarters on Friday to claim the top-prize win he uncovered scratching a $100,000 Lucky instant ticket. He’s been playing the game – a $30 ticket – for several months, buying one scratch-off a few times a week. The Bel Air resident always buys just one. That changed on Wednesday, and his Lottery luck followed suit.
“I’m superstitious about two numbers,” he explained to Lottery officials. “I try to see the ticket number of the scratch-off before I buy it. If one of my numbers is in that ticket number, I buy it.”
The anonymous player was not able to put his system to use, however, on the day he won the $100,000 prize. “I was at Safeway (Safeway #1652 in Bel Air) and they have one of the Lottery vending machines.” Although unable to see the instant tickets in advance, the 78-year-old bought a $100,000 Lucky ticket anyway. “When it came out of the machine, I saw that the next one would be one of my numbers, so I got one more.”
Upon running his two instant tickets through the store’s Lottery scanner, the winner saw an unfamiliar message. “It was that second ticket, the scanner told me to see the cashier. I started shaking. It had to mean that I’d won a big prize.”
The loyal player hurried home to share his $100,000 worth of good news with his wife, who was sick in bed. “She started crying when I told her.” They plan to spend some of the prize to pay medical bills.
The $100,000 Lucky game debuted in September 2021 and so far has produced 25 top-prize winners. There are 40 more $100,000-winning tickets still in circulation, as well as 25 $5,000 second-tier winners.
Also sharing in the win is the lucky Harford County Lottery retailer. The Lottery will send a $1,000 bonus to Safeway #1652 located at 225 Brierhill Drive in Bel Air for selling our lucky postman’s top-prize winning scratch-off.
