He purchased his ticket at a Taneytown liquor store.
Baltimore, Md (KM) There’s a new millionaire in our region. Paul Hooper, Jr., 62, of Gettysburg, Pa., purchased some scratch off Maryland Lottery tickets at the Liquor Barn in Taneytown. He took them outside to his truck in the parking lot and began scratching. He won $1-million from a Max-A-Million scratch off ticket.
Spokeswoman Carole Gentry says Hooper came to Lottery headquarters in Baltimore to claim his prize. “And he came busting into our winners’ circle, happy as could be because he won the top, million-dollar prize, in the Max-A-Million Scratch off,” she says.
Gentry says Hooper, whose a retired construction worker, told Lottery officials he plans to use his winnings to build his nest egg, and perhaps take a trip to Hawaii with his wife to celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary.
Winners can take their prizes in one lump sum, or an annuity over a period of years. But Gentry says they still must pay taxes. “There’s always a percentage taken out for taxes. I think most players have come to expect that. They still walk away with a big chunk of money,” she says.
And the retailer who sold the lucky ticket also comes out a winner. “The Liquor Barn was the lucky location. They’re located on Baltimore Street in Taneytown. And for selling that top prize, they’re going to get a $1,000-bonus from the Lottery. So everybody wins. It’s fun,” says Gentry.
She says the Max-A-Million game was introduced in November. :”It’s got seven, $1-million top prizes on it. And there are four of the $1-million dollars prizes that have yet to be claimed,” says Gentry.
And there are other, smaller prizes as well. “There’s also eight, $50,000 prizes, and hundreds of thousand of other prizes that range from $20 to $10,000,” says Gentry. “So we always tell people, whether it’s a jackpot game or a scratch off, to make sure you check because even if you don’t win the biggest prize, there are so many other great prizes. You want to make sure you check that out.”
Since it began in 1973, Maryland Lottery and Gaming has awarded more than $26.9-billion in prizes to players, and more than $16.7-billion in revenue to the State of Maryland, making it one of the state’s largest revenue sources, according to Lottery officials. They also say the revenue pays for education, public safety, health, human services and the environment.
By Kevin McManus