CHARLOTTE HALL — A St. Mary’s County mechanic who kept coming back to the same scratch-off game finally hit its top prize, a $30,000 win on a 30X Cash ticket bought in Charlotte Hall, the Maryland Lottery said Wednesday.
William Flowe Jr. of California, Md., bought the winning ticket at New Market Citgo, 29290 Three Notch Road, on his way to work, according to the lottery’s announcement. A store clerk had pointed him to the game, and he had bought it several times with little luck before this one paid off.
Credit: Maryland Lottery
He did not scratch it until after his shift. The ticket was so full of matching numbers that he thought something was wrong with it, the lottery said, so he took it back to the store to scan. That is when he learned he had won the top prize.
Flowe called family right away and plans to use the money to pay some bills, according to the lottery. Away from work, he still spends his free time working on cars.
The odds he beat
The $30 game launched in September with 320 top prizes of $30,000. After Flowe’s win, 303 remain, the lottery said. New Market Citgo will receive a $300 bonus for selling the winning ticket.
Northern St. Mary’s has produced a run of lottery winners in the past year. A Charlotte Hall woman won $50,000 last November, and in May a St. Mary’s waterman hit $77,777 on a scratch-off.
Lottery prizes are subject to state and federal income tax. Players who need help with gambling can call the Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER.
