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Wife tells husband not to let kids in on big Maryland lottery win. ‘It was too late’

After switching up her usual scratch-off strategy, a Maryland woman took home a big win, according to lottery officials.
After switching up her usual scratch-off strategy, a Maryland woman took home a big win, according to lottery officials. Getty Images/iStockphoto

A 63-year-old Maryland woman usually picks her scratch-off tickets “based on their odds of winning.”

However, when the woman walked into a Broadneck Exxon in Annapolis, she decided to change things up a bit, Maryland Lottery said in an Aug. 7 news release.

She tried her hand at a new scratch-off game, $1 Million Royale, lottery officials said.

“I knew the odds were high that there were no big winners yet,” the woman told lottery officials.

After the woman got to her Anne Arundel County home, lottery officials said she scanned it with her phone.

She was the first to win $50,000 on the $20 game, according to lottery officials.

The woman said she had to scan her ticket three times to ensure she had won, lottery officials said.

Excited, the woman called her husband to tell him about her big win and asked that he not tell their children about it, lottery officials said.

However, he said “it was too late,” lottery officials said.

When the woman called her husband, lottery officials said he was helping out their daughter, who overheard her mother telling him the big news.

“We won’t be able to share this one,” the woman said. “Hopefully, we can add a decimal point to the next win so we can help them out.”

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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This story was originally published August 8, 2023 at 10:23 AM with the headline "Wife tells husband not to let kids in on big Maryland lottery win. ‘It was too late’."

Daniella Segura
McClatchy DC
Daniella Segura is a national real-time reporter with McClatchy. Previously, she’s worked as a multimedia journalist for weekly and daily newspapers in the Los Angeles area. Her work has been recognized by the California News Publishers Association. She is also an alumnus of the University of Southern California and UC Berkeley.
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