A Montgomery County grandmother won $1 million in the Oct. 9 Cash4Life drawing. The Olney resident, who rarely plays the game, chose the one-time cash option over the $1,000-a-week-for-life annuity.
The woman discovered her big win while sitting on her couch and checking the results on her phone. “I had the ticket in one hand and my phone with the numbers in the other. I thought, ‘Am I seeing double?’” she recalled. Maryland allows lottery winners to remain anonymous.
Her quick-pick ticket matched all five main numbers and the Cash Ball number of 1. The prize is part of the multistate Cash4Life game, which offers a second-tier prize of $1,000 a week for life.
The winner purchased the ticket at the Olney 7-Eleven on Georgia Avenue. She stopped at the store because traffic was heavy and it was on her route. While filling out a Pick 3/4/5 playslip, she decided to use her remaining $2 on a Cash4Life quick-pick ticket.
The woman, who has only played Cash4Life a few times before, called her win a stroke of luck. She plans to meet with a financial adviser to decide how to enjoy her prize.
The 7-Eleven store also celebrates a win. For selling the lucky ticket, it will receive a $2,500 bonus from the Maryland Lottery. This is the 10th second-tier Cash4Life prize won in Maryland since the game launched in 2016. Five Marylanders have won the top prize of $1,000 a day for life.
