Woman at liquor store realizes she won in Maryland Lottery. ‘I had trouble breathing’

A trip to the liquor store left a woman gasping for breath when she realized a lottery ticket bought at the counter was a big winner, according to Maryland Lottery officials.

It happened at a spirits shop in Newburg and involved a woman from Virginia, lottery officials said in a March 5 news release. Newburg is just across the Potomac River from northern Virginia.

“Her doctor is in Maryland so the lottery player visits our state frequently,” officials said in the release.

“Last week, she and her husband stopped at Hardesty’s Liquors located at 12190 Crain Highway in Newburg. ... She decided to try her luck with three $2 tickets.”

It seemed like a bad decision when the first and second Fast Play Gold Fish tickets came up losers.

Then came ticket No. 3, which suggested she’d just won $41,780 in the progressive jackpot game.

“I just kept glaring at the ticket,” she told lottery officials. “I couldn’t settle myself down, I had trouble breathing.”

Her name was not released, but lottery officials noted the winner “is a retired federal government statistician.” It’s not clear if that had anything to do with her buying in threes, but it certainly paid off.

The couple, who have been married 42 years, intend to use the money “to pay off medical bills,” lottery officials said.

There are 11 cash prizes in the game, ranging from $2 to the jackpot. Chances of winning something are about 1 in 4, the lottery reports.

The liquor store also gets something for selling the winning ticket: 1% of the prize, which comes out to $417, officials said.

This story was originally published March 8, 2024 at 12:57 PM with the headline "Woman at liquor store realizes she won in Maryland Lottery. ‘I had trouble breathing’."