Lottery Moments

Choosing to remain anonymous (which you can do in Maryland…in other states, however, you MUST give out your name) a 49-year-old woman and her daughter came to Maryland Lottery headquarters carrying a locked safe.

Inside the safe was the $24 million Mega Millions winning ticket from last Tuesday’s drawing. As she sat hugging her oversized check, the winner told Lottery officials her story.

The woman, who hails from North Carolina, told Maryland Lottery officials she almost didn’t purchase the ticket that ultimately made her a multi-millionaire.

“I went to the store to play a $5 Quick Pick ticket,” she said . “After running the $5 play slip through the terminal, I told the clerk to give me another $5 Quick Pick. I just had a feeling and that second ticket wound up being the winner.”

Good thing she followed her feelings.

When the player woke up the next morning, on her birthday, she heard that the winning ticket was sold at Carroll Station, the same location where she made her purchase. “At that point, I just knew it was me,” she said.

That’s when the mother-of-two checked her neighbor’s newspaper for the numbers. As the winner sat in disbelief with Lottery officials today, she grabbed hold of the oversized check and wouldn’t let go.

Before the win, the grandmother-of-three and her daughter were planning to move out of state. Those plans haven’t changed, but along with a new house, the winner can finally get her dream car - a 2009 Lexus truck.

IN THE MONEY:

There were no winners in last night’s MEGA MILLIONS draw, so Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS jackpot has risen to $16 million ($9.9 million, cash lump sum). Friday night’s numbers were 2-9-41 -48 -51, and the Mega Ball 37.

Tonight’s POWERBALL draw is a big one, with $154 million on the table ($78.6 million, minus taxes, if you take the one-time lump sum payout).

Good luck to everyone out there.