ESSEX, MD—He’s definitely a scratch-off man, a Baltimore County medical supplies salesman insisted to Maryland Lottery officials after claiming $50,000 worth of FAST PLAY luck he recently encountered. Noting that his big score did not come by way of a scratch-off, the Essex man said he changed his game because “it felt like the right time to switch things up.”

The 59-year-old instant ticket fan loves scratch-offs.

“I’ve played them for years with lots of wins and I will continue.” Something, however, told him to try something different when he stopped by the Royal Farms store located at 8235 Eastern Avenue that Saturday.

“I was about to pick a particular scratcher that’s been very lucky for me when the feeling hit me,” he said. Selecting a $10 FAST PLAY Towering 10s game instead, the player returned to his car. “FAST PLAY games aren’t that different from scratch-offs, I guess. Maybe that’s why I picked it.”

About to leave the parking lot to head home, the player glanced at his Towering 10s ticket and noticed a match. He turned off the car’s engine and looked closer, getting more and more excited. “The match I first saw was for $20,000, I couldn’t believe it, then one for $10,000 and one more for $20,000. I took off fast – but safely – for home to show my wife.”

The over-riding sentiment of their celebration was relief. “This takes a lot of weight off of our shoulders, lets us breathe a bit, mainly with bills like it would for anyone else. It just makes our lives a little easier, a little better.”

Photo via Pexels