Lottery player uses ‘penny from heaven’ — then wins life-changing prize in Maryland

A Maryland lottery player recently won a $100 prize with a scratch-off ticket, but she planned to wait before cashing in her prize.

Then something caught her eye on the front steps of her house: a heads-up penny.

“That means it is a lucky penny,” the woman told officials, according to a May 30 Maryland Lottery news.

Feeling inspired by the coin, the woman decided to cash in her ticket early, according to officials. While she collected her prize, she bought a Cash is King scratch-off ticket, which she scratched when she got home.

“I almost forgot to use my penny,” the lottery player told officials. “I had to stop scratching with that quarter and grabbed my lucky penny.”

That’s when the woman saw her $2 million top prize, officials said.

The winner credits her late father — who was a regular lottery player — with her prize, she told officials.

“We knew it was a penny from heaven,” she said.

The woman said her father always wanted to win enough money to take care of his family, so she plans to honor him by fulfilling his wish. She also plans to use her prize to buy a new house and car for herself.

Hagerstown is about 70 miles northwest of Washington, D.C.

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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