Bonus Match 5 Promotion Plays Role in $50,000 Top-Prize Win

Loyal player wins twice in one week

A Bonus Match 5 fan from Takoma Park enjoyed two wins — one of them for a $50,000 top prize — in one week on his favorite game.

Originally from Cameroon, the loyal player nicknamed “Lucky Cameroonian” told Lottery officials that he plays Bonus Match 5 all the time and wins now and then. “I love this game!” said the 56-year-old, laughing. “If I know I am going out of town for three days, I will play four days in advance just to be sure I don’t miss my chance to win.”

Just a few days before he won the $50,000 top prize in the May 9 drawing, the Montgomery County resident won $1,000 on a Bonus Match 5 quick-pick ticket. “Lucky Cameroonian” used some of those winnings to pay off credit card debt and then bought more Bonus Match 5 tickets at a Takoma Park gas station. When he made that winning purchase, the player found out about the Maryland Lottery’s May promotion that gave players a Bonus Match 5 quick-pick ticket if they bought six Bonus Match 5 games on a single ticket.

“I play all the time so I took advantage of the promotion as soon as I found out about it, that’s how I became a big winner,” said “Lucky Cameroonian.” He played his personal sets of numbers and matched all five numbers in the drawing to win.

The happy father bought his winning ticket at W Express, a Marathon gas station, in Takoma Park. He plans to use some of the prize to honor the memory of his brother, who died in 2020 from COVID-19, by sending a cash gift to his nephew. “Lucky Cameroonian” also plans to start a college savings plan for his children.

Maryland Lottery retailers also win big when their players win top prizes. The W Express located at 6400 New Hampshire Avenue in Takoma Park received a $500 bonus from the Lottery for selling a top-prize winning Bonus Match 5 ticket.