By Raúl Rodríguez Cota
Dec 28, 2023, 18:30 PM EST
A man received a scratch-off lottery ticket from his lifelong friend as a Christmas gift, and upon scratching the ticket, he discovered that he had won $30,000.
According to a press release from the Maryland Lottery, the Frederick County man and his best friend have maintained a tradition of giving each other scratch-off lottery tickets every Christmas for years.
Every holiday season, they choose several instant tickets as small gifts.
The lucky winner told Maryland Lottery officials that, although they always win some smaller prizes, they never imagined they would actually hit the jackpot.
“We both enjoy playing, so it has become a fun part of the holiday,” the winner said.
Tradition includes gathering on Christmas Eve to scratch off tickets together.
When he scratched off the ticket called ‘Peppermint Payout Multiplier’ this year, he was initially hesitant when he saw that he had won the jackpot.
“I thought I had made a mistake. “I couldn’t believe she had $30,000 in my hands,” she said.
Their friend checked the ticket and confirmed that they had won. To be completely sure, they used the Lottery app and reconfirmed the victory.
“We started screaming and didn’t stop for a while,” said the winner.
When asked by the Lottery what he will do with the money, the winner said he will use it to pay off debts that have worried him for years. “It will be great not to have that hanging over my head,” he said.
The winning ticket was sold at a Sheetz gas station on Church Street in the town of Thurmont.
As a reward for selling the ticket, the store will receive a commission of $300.
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