A recent college graduate will be entering the workforce student loan free - thanks to a Maryland lottery ticket purchase.
The Rosedale woman was celebrating with friends at Dick's Famous Halfway Inn tavern when she bought a $5 Mosaic Money scratch-off ticket, Maryland Lottery officials said in a June 9 news release.
She handed her ticket to a friend, "who had never played scratch-offs," lottery officials said.
As the friend helped scratch the ticket, they noticed it had five numbers that matched the ticket's winning numbers, lottery officials said.
Each number included a $5,000 prize, totaling $25,000, according to lottery officials.
There was more to her ticket, however: "The ticket also had a 2X symbol with a $5,000 prize, doubling it to $10,000; and a 3X symbol with another $5,000 amount, tripling it to $15,000," bringing the total to $50,000, lottery officials said.
"My friend didn't think it was real," the winner, who wasn't identified publicly, told lottery officials.
To confirm the win, the friend group scanned the ticket, and, sure enough, the woman scored the game's top prize of $50,000, lottery officials said.
"I almost cried when I saw the amount," she said.
The recent graduate told lottery officials she plans to use her winnings to pay off her student loans.
Rosedale is about a 10-mile drive northeast from Baltimore.
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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