A lucky player has claimed a life-changing $2 million prize from the Maryland Lottery. The winner is now planning a vacation to Europe and even her retirement.
Maryland Book Lover Won a Life-Changing Sum from Diamonds & Gold
A lucky Washington DC native living in Laurel, Maryland, has turned a visit to the supermarket into an unforgettable moment after the ticket she purchased there ended up netting her some $2 million. According to official Maryland Lottery information, the win came from a Diamonds & Gold scratch-off ticket. This was notably the first of the two $2 million top prizes featured in the game.
The winning ticket was purchased from the 7-Eleven store at 14,001 Baltimore Avenue in Laurel. The store is set to receive a $2,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.
The woman claimed her prize on July 20. Referred to only by her alias, Book Worm, she preferred to keep her anonymity. Despite that, the winner agreed to be interviewed by the lottery, share more information about the events that led to the win and disclose her plans for the money.
Book Worm Won a Month Ago, But Waited in Order to Make a Budget
According to Book Worm, she and her sister are regular visitors to local book club gatherings. In addition to reading together and discussing stories, book club members often play Maryland Lottery games together. Book Worm clarified that she regularly buys Pick 3 and Pick 4 tickets, making weekly visits to the shop she purchased the winning ticket from.
The life-changing win happened on one such run on June 30. She bought several scratch-off tickets and decided to scratch them off right away. While the first few she scratched were not winners, the Diamonds & Gold one ended up netting her a seven-figure prize.
Book Worm almost immediately saw that the ticket was a winner but she was not immediately aware of how much she had actually won. When she took the ticket to the clerk, they confirmed that it was worth $2 million.
Book Worm was so surprised and overcome with emotion that she couldn’t even drive back home. One of the first things she did was call her sister, whom she is really close to, to share the joyous news.
The winner waited almost a month before she claimed her prize. Now she has a budget ready and plans to pay off bills and retire from her work at a local grocery store. Additionally, she plans to take a vacation to Europe.