Nurse wins $50K from Maryland Lottery, bought ticket because she thought it was 'pretty'

A "pretty" impulse purchase landed a registered nurse a winning $50,000 lottery ticket, lottery officials in Maryland announced Thursday.

“I was just getting gas when the feeling hit, that’s how it happened,” the Silver Springs woman told Maryland Lottery officials.

The nurse said she bought the Holiday Cash ticket inside a gas station convenience store in Rockville over the weekend, according to a lotto press release, saying "her eyes were immediately drawn to the holiday-themed $5 instant ticket".

The convenience store is in Montgomery County near Washington D.C.

“It’s a pretty ticket... great colors," the woman who asked not to be identified said. “I didn’t play it until two days later. Life’s very busy right now. I got distracted.”

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A thrice-checked ticket

After she scratched the ticket, the woman said she was in such disbelief she won, she asked her mom and sister to confirm her win.

The following day, she visited Lottery headquarters to claim her prize, officials said.

The gas station that sold the winning ticket earned $500 from the Lottery for selling the top-prize winning instant ticket. 

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Six $50K prizes left to be claimed

A Holiday Cash ticket, according to the state lottery website, cost $5 and the game debuted in October with eight $50,000 prizes.

As of Friday it had six remaining $50K top prizes left and eight $5,000 second-tier prizes.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.