WESTMINSTER, Md. — Brian Murray of Westminster is celebrating a $50,000 win on the Maryland Lottery’s Gold Rush 7s Tripler scratch-off, and he’s already planning to take his girlfriend on a dream vacation to Puerto Rico.
The Carroll County resident made his way to Maryland Lottery headquarters in Baltimore on August 14, proudly wearing a T-shirt featuring his favorite band, Slayer. “I wore my favorite band shirt to claim,” Brian shared, adding, “This is the coolest thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Brian, who typically buys $20 to $40 worth of scratch-offs every other week, recently struck gold after stopping by his local Walmart to pick up coffee sweetener for his girlfriend. He used $20 in credit from two winning scratch-offs to purchase four $5 Gold Rush 7s Tripler tickets from a Lottery vending machine. One of those tickets held the top prize of $50,000.
“I couldn’t believe it!” said Brian, who plans to use part of his winnings to take his girlfriend on a vacation to Puerto Rico. “I’m going to take the most awesome person in the world to the most awesome place.”
An avid angler originally from the Gulf Coast, Brian is also planning an “epic fishing trip” with a friend, possibly to catch red drum in the tidal Chesapeake or ocean waters. Any remaining funds will go toward paying off his car loan, he said.
The Walmart at 280 Woodward Road in Carroll County, where Brian purchased the winning ticket, will also benefit from his good fortune. The store will receive a $500 bonus from the Maryland Lottery for selling a $50,000 top-prize winning scratch-off.
