Annapolis grocery store sells Maryland Lottery ticket worth nearly $800,000
$6,000 Welcome Bonus
One lucky person has a lot to be thankful for this holiday season after they purchased a lottery ticket worth nearly $800,000 last week at an Annapolis grocery store.
The Maryland Lottery Fast Play “Hit The Jackpot” ticket worth $786,946 was purchased Wednesday at the Giant Food store at 2323 Forest Drive.
As of Monday, the ticket remained unclaimed.
The winner has 182 days from the day of sale to claim the prize. Winners of prizes larger than $25,000 must redeem their tickets at the Maryland Lottery Claims Center in Baltimore, which is by appointment only. Appointments can be made at mdlottery.com/winners/schedule-appointment.
This is the first winning ticket sold for the “Hit The Jackpot” game, which launched in July. The game starts with a $250,000 jackpot that increases with the purchase of each ticket until the winner is sold. There are 14 winning tickets remaining. “Hit The Jackpot” tickets cost $20. Once a winning ticket is sold, the jackpot returns to the baseline level.
It’s not uncommon for a top prize to remain unsold for months, said Seth Elkin, Maryland Lottery’s assistant director of communications for public affairs.
“It’s a total random shot so you never know when a top prizewinning ticket is going to come up,” Elkin said.
Fast Play games are similar to scratch-offs but with no scratching necessary. The games come in a variety of themes and prices, with top prizes ranging from $1,000 to more than $100,000. Some of the games, like “Hit The Jackpot,” feature progressive jackpots that increase each time a ticket is purchased and the top prize isn’t won.
The ticket is one of the largest given out in Anne Arundel County this year. Earlier this month, a $100,000 prize was claimed in Pasadena. In July, a $250,000 scratch-off was claimed at the Quick Save Mart on Defense Highway.
Last week, 20 players across the state won or claimed prizes of $10,000 or more from the Maryland Lottery, which paid nearly $26 million in prizes during the week ending Nov. 28, including a few other Anne Arundel County retailers that sold winning tickets.
A $20,000 winning Keno ticket was sold Nov. 26 at the Crofton Mobil at 2201 Defense Highway. Two $10,000 scratch-offs were claimed at The Bank Shot Bar & Grill and a Royal Farms in Laurel.
A $60,564 Racetrax ticket sold Nov. 23 at an Exxon at 801 Washington Blvd. in Laurel remains unclaimed as of Monday.
