Bonus Match 5 Devotee Picks up $50,000 Top Prize Plus

Lucky Largo player buys hot ticket at 7-Eleven in Annapolis

Upon claiming a prize of $50,445 at Maryland Lottery headquarters in Baltimore, a longtime Bonus Match 5 player settled into a seat in the Winner’s Circle and said, “So this is what it feels like.”

Asked to elaborate, she said, “It feels really good!” The 69-year-old staff member of the Maryland General Assembly has played Bonus Match 5 as far back as she can remember. The game started in 1995. The Largo resident always plays the same six sets of numbers. Because some numbers in the sets overlap, she won $50,000 by matching all five numbers in the Nov. 25 drawing and $445 in lower-tier prizes.

The Prince George’s County player views the game as a bargain. While a single ticket costs $1, three tickets cost $2 and her six sets of numbers costs $4 to play. Now that she’s hit Bonus Match 5 for the top prize, the persistent player says she will try her luck with Powerball and Mega Millions.

As for plans for spending the prize, the winner said, “It’ll just go into the 401K. I’m still working and that’s about that.” Asked about plans for a celebration, she quipped, “Let’s celebrate (financial) security!”

Sharing in the lucky player’s good fortune is 7-Eleven #11546 at 611 Taylor Avenue in Annapolis, where she bought the hot ticket. The Anne Arundel County store receives a bonus of $504.45, equal to 1 percent of the prize total.