A Thurmont, Maryland man who was given a scratch-off lottery ticket as a Christmas stocking stuffer from his long-time friend received a holiday surprise when he scratched off the card to find he had won $30,000.
The Maryland Lottery said in a press release that the Frederick County man and his best friend have a tradition of buying each other scratch-off tickets as Christmas gifts, and they have been doing so for years.
Each year, the two pick out a handful of instant scratch-offs as stocking stuffers.
The man told Maryland Lottery officials he and his friend always get a winner or two, but nothing like the prize he won this year.
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"We both love to play, so it’s become a fun part of the holiday," he said.
The duo even gets together on Christmas Eve to scratch them off.
When he scratched off the "Peppermint Payout Multiplier" ticket this year, he admitted to lottery officials he was skeptical when he saw five numbers suggesting he had won the top prize in the game.
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"I figured that I’d done something wrong," he said. "There was no way I could believe that I was holding $30,000 in my hands."
The man’s friend gave it a look and confirmed the win, but to make sure, the two went on the Lottery app and erased every ounce of doubt.
"We started yelling and didn’t stop for quite a while," the man said.
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When asked by lottery officials what he plans to do with the money, he said he will use it to eliminate debt that has been worrying him for years.
"It’ll be great not having it hanging over my head anymore," he said.
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The winning ticket was sold from a Sheetz gas station on Church Street in Thurmont. Since the store sold the ticket, it will receive a $300 bonus.
