A Glen Burnie mechanic, accompanied by a friend, happily claimed the $1 million top prize on the Diamond Spectacular scratch-off.BALTIMORE (Aug. 8, 2016)—An Anne Arundel County mechanic is retooling his life after discovering the first $1 million top prize in the Maryland Lottery's Diamond Spectacular scratch-off game.
The father of two adult children, who elected to remain anonymous, plans to move to West Virginia near his brother and buy a house to enjoy with his cat, Doolittle. "She's going to get her own bank account," he said, laughing. The loyal player has enjoyed trying his luck with scratch-offs and other Maryland Lottery games since the state launched the Lottery in 1973.
"I play every day," he said. "I'm a faithful player."
The Glen Burnie resident found his $1 million winning scratch-off at the Shell All Saints in Laurel, which is the same Lottery retailer that sold him a $10,000 winning scratch-off many years ago.
On the day Lottery luck gave him the biggest prize of his life, the 63-year-old was headed to Pennsylvania to visit his daughter. He decided to stop at his favorite retailer and spend $50 on scratch-offs before hitting the highway. He bought two of the $20 Diamond Spectacular games and two $5 games. The $5 games and one of the $20 instant tickets were non-winners but his hope for a big prize never died.
"I said, 'I've got one more shot,' " the winner said, recalling the moment before the big win. "I was in the parking lot, scratching (instant tickets) on the hood of my truck. I kind of knew I'd won, he said, but my eyesight isn't too good so I took it into the clerk and had him check it." The clerk also saw the diamond symbol on the scratch-off with $1 million written beneath it.
What happened next? Did he celebrate? Shout? Clap? "I got in my truck and went to Pennsylvania," he said. Along the way, he called a friend who thought he was bluffing about the $1 million prize. His surprised daughter said, "What are you going to do with it, Daddy?" He's West Virginia bound!
His lucky retailer, located at 9280 All Saints Road in Laurel, will receive a $1,000 bonus from the Lottery for selling a top-prize winning ticket in the game. There are still two more $1 million top-prize winners awaiting discovery, along with five unclaimed $50,000 winning tickets and 17 unclaimed $10,000 winners.