This "Top Secret Winner" from Charles County plans to purchase a new home after winning $1 million playing the Million Dollar Spectacular scratch-off game. (Photo courtesy of Md. Lottery)BALTIMORE (Feb. 23, 2017)—Shopping for a new home tops the to-do list of Maryland's newest millionaire, who is a Charles County scratch-off fan. The lucky 54-year-old won $1 million playing the Maryland Lottery's Million Dollar Spectacular game. The woman elected to remain anonymous to the public.
The Bryans Road resident found her lucky $20 instant ticket after visiting her sister. She stopped at Bryans Road US Fuel to buy a couple of scratch-off games. Her favorites are the $20 instant tickets.
"I normally get the 20x The Cash game," said the winner. "Since I already won $20 twice on that game, I decided on the Million Dollar Spectacular game." She purchased two of the scratch-offs and scratched the instant tickets when she got home.
The mother of two adult children likes to scratch the numbers first on her games. If she matches numbers, she usually will reveal the prize underneath the number. This time, however, she saw that she matched one of the numbers and switched to the other instant ticket.
"I scratched that entire ticket, but when I saw it was not a winner, I went back to the first game," she said. "When I saw all those zeroes, I knew it was $1 million!"
The winner, who works as a mover for a private company, immediately signed the back of the instant ticket and hid it in her car's glove compartment. Then, paranoia set in! She ran back out to her car and retrieved the scratch-off. The now very nervous winner sealed her ticket in an envelope and put it on her desk. "I wanted it near me. In case a fire broke out, I could grab it quickly," she said, laughing.
The lucky player chose to keep this good news on the down low, nicknaming herself "Top Secret Winner." She did share the news with a few family members.
Also a winner is Bryans Road US Fuel located at 3155 Marshall Hall Road in Bryans Road. The retailer will receive a $1,000 bonus from the Lottery for selling a top-prize scratch-off in the Million Dollar Spectacular game. There is still one more unclaimed $1 million top prize in the game, along with three $50,000 prizes and $11 $10,000 prizes.