Having been closed since March due to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Maryland Lottery Claims Center has announced it will be officially reopening to the public on an appointment only basis later this week, June 24.
As a result, individuals who are claiming winnings in excess of $5,000 will now be required to make an appointment prior to collecting their winnings. This measure has been taken in order to follow COVID-19 social restrictions with the lottery ensuring the safety of its customers and staff through the addition of the provisions.
Regarding other prize sums, the lottery has made it clear that winnings less than $600 should be claimed at any of its 4,400 statewide lottery retailers, with prizes up to $5,000 requiring individuals to claim them at any of its Expanded Cashing Authority Program (XCAP) locations.
The lottery has also reiterated that under no circumstances will walk-ins be allowed at its claims center, with appointments available to be made either online at mdlottery.com/appointments or over the phone at 410-230-2030.
A statement released by the Maryland Lottery read: “Once an appointment has been scheduled online, an email confirmation will be sent with the date and time of the appointment. Check your email’s Spam/Junk folder if you do not see the confirmation email in your Inbox.”
“Winners must bring two forms of identification with them to their Claims Center appointment: a photo ID and a second document that shows proof of the winner’s Social Security Number. Examples of the accepted forms of ID are listed on the How To Claim page of the Lottery’s website.”
Appointments are set to be scheduled 10 minutes apart with the center opening during the hours of 8:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Monday through Friday.
All visitors are required to wear a mask upon entering the premises and will be refused entry if they do not comply. Moreover, the lottery has also implemented a strict timeframe regarding early/late comers.
Winners have been asked to arrive no more than five minutes early to their appointment and will be asked to wait outside the building should this be breached. Regarding individuals who arrive late, the appointment will be held for no longer than 10 minutes at which point a new appointment will be required.
The statement continued: “The winner’s name must match exactly on both of the identification documents, or the Lottery will be unable to process the ticket. (Winner’s first and last name, middle initial or name, Jr. etc.)
“Only the winner who is claiming a prize will be permitted to take the elevator to the Lottery’s office on the third floor of the Montgomery Park Business Center. However, winners who require physical assistance will be permitted to bring one person with them to the Lottery office.”
Players who do not wish to make an appointment may claim by mail or use the Claims Dropbox in the lobby of the Montgomery Park Business Center, with claim forms available for download from the How To Claim page of the Lottery’s website.
In addition to the health safety features above, the Montgomery Park security staff will also be asking all visitors a set of screening questions regarding the COVID-19 virus, with access being denied to any individual who reports having registered a fever in the last 14 days or who was been in close proximity to anyone who tested positive.