Woman’s rare lottery play nets her $100K

Nov. 14 (UPI) — On the advice of a friend, a woman who says she generally does not play the lottery picked up a scratch-off ticket and uncovered a big payday.

Tamicka Dixon-Epps, of Baltimore, met a friend for a chat at a gas station and, afterward, followed her friend’s advice and bought a lottery ticket on a lark.

“I have played once or twice in my life,” Dixon-Epps told Maryland Lottery officials, noting that she generally only plays when buying tickets with groups of co-workers.

“Nothing against the lottery,” she added, “but on my own it just wouldn’t occur to me to buy a ticket.”

Dixon-Epps and her friend met at a Citgo gas station for a conversation, selecting the locale because it was easy for them both to get there.

After their chat, the friend went into the gas station to buy a lottery ticket, encouraging Dixon-Epps to do the same.

From the store’s scratch-off options, she chose to play “Double Your Money,” a $10-ticket boasting nine $100,000 prizes and two $50,000 prizes as the top potential winnings on the game.

Dixon-Epps said that after scratching the ticket, she had to scan it three times before she believed the machine was right — the ticket was a winner and she was taking home the prize.

According to Maryland lottery officials, Dixon-Epps would like to buy a house and, although $100,000 will not get her all the way there, she’s much closer after picking a winning ticket.

“My friend was jumping up and down and screaming,” she said, “and here I was, knees shaking, almost collapsing, covered in sweat.”

“I just didn’t believe it. $100,000? There’s no way that could be right.”