Montgomery County woman wins $1 million Mega Millions prize with first ticket purchase

GAITHERSBURG, Md. – A Montgomery County woman who bought her first lottery ticket at the urging of her family has won the second-tier $1 million Mega Millions prize. According to the Maryland Lottery, an aspiring player purchased the winning quick pick ticket for the July 19 drawing at Quincy’s Bar & Grille on Quince Orchard Road.

The woman, a paralegal, said it wasn’t her idea to act, but her family convinced her to give it a try. Inspired by her aunt, she chose the Mega Millions game and let the terminal pick the numbers. She returned to Quincy to check her ticket after the drawing and was stunned when the ticket scanner detected her winnings.

“I was in shock,” she recalled the moment she realized she had become a millionaire. Despite the life-changing victory, the small-town resident noted that she probably won’t try her luck again, believing the windfall was “all the luck” she’ll ever need.

The winner has no immediate spending plans and intends to save and invest her prize money, noting that it could help her pursue law school in the future.

Quincy’s Bar & Grille also shared in the excitement, receiving a $2,500 bonus for selling the winning ticket. Maryland sold three second-tier $1 million Mega Millions tickets in 2024, with one still unclaimed due to an Oct. 15 drawing sold at the Check Cash Depot in Brooklyn Park.