Garry Davis of Mechanicsville in St. Mary’s County claimed $12,500 in cash during the final live event of the Maryland Lottery’s Unlock the Cash Second-Chance Promotion, held recently at Lottery headquarters in Baltimore. Davis, a retiree, shared the stage with Aarchi Patel, a college student from Perry Hall in Baltimore County, as the two finalists opened safes containing guaranteed prizes ranging from $5,000 to $25,000.
The event marked the conclusion of the promotion, which launched August 22, 2025, and featured three live game sessions where selected players unlocked cash and scratch-off tickets from six safes. Participants took turns choosing combinations provided in envelopes and inputting codes to open two safes each, under the guidance of Lottery host Mike Powell.
Davis opened his first safe to reveal $10,000, prompting his wife to exclaim, “Now we can book a cruise!” His second safe yielded $2,500, bringing his total cash winnings to $12,500. Patel claimed $2,500 from her first safe plus $300 in Break the Bank scratch-off tickets, followed by another $2,500 and $300 in scratch-offs from the second, for a combined $5,000 in cash and $600 in additional tickets.
Prior to the game, Patel indicated she planned to apply any winnings toward medical school expenses. Davis expressed intentions to use part of his prize for home improvements, including building a new deck and shed, in addition to the cruise plans.
This finale capped a series that began with a September event where Patrick Meers of Towson won the promotion’s top prize of $25,000 and Eliezer Adari of Owings Mills took home $5,000. The October session saw Tania Shreve of Brooklyn Park claim $17,500 plus scratch-offs, while Sallie Drake of Joppatowne won $5,000 plus scratch-offs.
Entry into the promotion required players to submit $10 worth of non-winning Break the Bank scratch-off tickets or any Cash Combination FAST PLAY tickets through the My Lottery Rewards program, granting automatic entries. The initiative attracted more than 188,000 submissions across the period.
The Break the Bank game, a $5 scratch-off, offers instant prizes and features symbols like vaults and keys for matching wins or bonus multipliers. Cash Combination, also priced at $5 and available via FAST PLAY terminals at retailers, generates tickets on demand with potential progressive jackpots. Both games remain active with remaining top prizes available at Maryland Lottery retailers statewide.
Second-chance promotions like Unlock the Cash extend play value for non-winning tickets by entering them into drawings for additional prizes, a common feature in Maryland Lottery offerings managed through the free My Lottery Rewards app or website. Players scan or manually enter ticket codes to accumulate points and entries, with drawings conducted randomly under state oversight.
For St. Mary’s County residents, Lottery retailers in areas like Mechanicsville, Charlotte Hall and Lexington Park provide access to these games, contributing to state revenue that supports education, public health and other programs. The Maryland Lottery, established in 1973, operates terminals at over 4,500 locations and emphasizes responsible gaming resources.
While the Unlock the Cash events have ended, ongoing promotions include Ravens-themed second-chance contests and holiday scratch-offs with entry deadlines extending into 2026. Players can check remaining prizes for specific games on the official Maryland Lottery website.
