A decision to skip a workout paid off for a Maryland woman who won $30,000 on a lottery scratch-off ticket, officials reported.
Michelle Simms intended to get in a workout Saturday, April 27 — until some friends convinced her to go out with them, instead, the Maryland Lottery said in a May 1 news release.
While hanging out with friends at a pizza grill and bar in Nottingham, Simms decided to buy some lottery tickets, including two “Loteria” scratch-off tickets, from a vending machine, the lottery said.
But when she went to scan the tickets instead of scratching them off first, she got a message she’d never seen, officials said.
“The message popped up and said, ‘Congratulations, you won $30,000’,” Simms told lottery officials. “I said out loud, ‘No I didn’t.’”
She said she scanned the ticket about nine more times just to be sure — then called her mom.
“You know she came right up and got the ticket from me,” Simms said. “She wanted to confirm it and keep it safe for me.”
She continued celebrating with her friends, then claimed her $30,000 prize a few days later. Simms plans to spend part of the money on a vacation, lottery officials said.
Nottingham is about a 20-mile drive northeast from Baltimore.
Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.
If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.
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