$1M Winning Scratch-Off Ticket Helps Aberdeen Couple Retire Early, Pay Off Mortgage

ABERDEEN, MD — A broken down car, low tires on a borrowed vehicle and a quick pit stop at a convenience store all led up to the moment when an Aberdeen couple won $1 million on an instant ticket from the Maryland Lottery.

An Aberdeen resident needed to check on the status of his vehicle that was in the repair shop. He borrowed his mom's vehicle to drive there, but noticed the tires were low on air. So he stopped by the Royal Farms store at 3710 Churchville Road in Aberdeen to air up the tires and grab a drink. He realized he had $20 in his pocket so he bought a $20 Monopoly X100 instant ticket. He usually plays Powerball and Mega Millions, not scratch-offs.

“I brought it home and gave it to my wife. I said, ‘You’re lucky. Give us some scratch-off luck,’” he told lottery officials.

He left the room and eventually, his wife scratched off the instant ticket. She knew instantly they were millionaires. She took the scratch-off to her husband and said it was a million-dollar winner.

“I thought it was a prank,” he recalled, adding that when he took a look, all doubts were immediately gone. “This is unbelievable. What a feeling.”

The two recently purchased a house and they will use the bulk of their winnings to pay it off early and bring retirement within reach in about seven years. They’ll also consider building a house in the Philippines.

The Royal Farms where he bought the instant ticket is also lucky. The store receives a lottery bonus of $1,000 for selling a $1 million top-prize winning scratch-off.