$1M Scratch Ticket Claimed By Woman Shopping For Taco Supplies

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — While at the grocery store to pick up taco supplies, an Essex woman picked up a $20 Money Explosion scratch-off ticket she bought while on her errand. She couldn't believe it when the ticket revealed she was a $1 million winner.

Calling herself "Taco Tuesday," the Baltimore County woman discovered her big win while walking the aisles at the Food Lion #1653 in Baltimore. She had selected two of the new Money Explosion scratch-offs from the store’s lottery kiosk. When one of the pair of tickets won $20, she opted for a third chance to win big. As she picked up the taco shells and seasonings for the family’s Tuesday night meal, the loyal scratch-off player slowly revealed the crucial parts of the instant ticket so that she could scan the game’s prize check barcode.

“I almost never do that,” she said.

Usually, she takes her time to reveal the winning numbers on each of her instant tickets. When she saw she had won and then saw the prize amount her phone was displaying, “Taco Tuesday” hurriedly scratched off the rest of the instant ticket in an effort to make sense of what she was seeing. She found the matching number and, underneath it, a $1 million prize.

Needing a lifeline, she called her husband who panicked at first.

“I was whispering and all I could say at first was, ‘I can’t shop anymore,’” Taco Tuesday said.

The stunned winner later managed a few more phrases, explaining that she had won and that they were now getting takeout. Taco Tuesday told the Lottery that the win came at the perfect time. The small business she operates was severely impacted by the pandemic and she plans to use her prize to help the business recover. She said she also plans to use her winnings to expand her business and to save for her children’s education.

The seller of the lucky instant ticket, Food Lion #1653 at 1565 Hyde Park Road in Baltimore, will receive a $1,000 retailer bonus from the lottery for selling a winning scratch-off of $1 million.