Severna Park Nurse Practitioner Enjoys $16,000 Keno Win

SEVERNA PARK, MD — A nurse practitioner discovered her weekly Keno fun could lead to side effects like shortness of breath, perspiration and seeing dollar signs. Debra Smith of Severna Park experienced all that and more after a heart-fluttering $16,000 prize came her way.

The lucky win came as she was playing the monitor game at The Greene Turtle in Pasadena with her regular gathering of family and friends. The 55-year-old found Lottery luck with birth dates of family members and pets.

“The numbers were a combination of the birth dates of my daughter and the birthdates of my Doberman and Mastiff,” Smith told Maryland Lottery officials.

Her win came on a ticket bought earlier at the lucky retailer. “I bought a ticket to go, and checked it later using my phone,” said the Anne Arundel County resident.

She watched her smartphone screen closely as the numbers from her lucky ticket appeared, along with a Super Bonus that kicked her prize into the stratosphere. Smith began texting family members to share the excitement of the win. She isn’t quite sure yet how she will spend her lucky winnings.

»Photo of Debra Smith of Severna Park, who won $16,000 playing Keno, courtesy of Maryland Lottery