 James Miller of Baltimore wound up in the Lottery Winner’s Lounge with a $120,012 Keno win. |
Baltimore man wins second largest Keno prize in Maryland Lottery history
Small wagers, high calories and musician Willie Nelson combined to give a Baltimore man the thrill of winning the second-largest Keno prize in Maryland Lottery history. James Miller wound up in the Lottery Winner’s Lounge with a $120,012 win!
The happy winner can thank his routine of getting together with his dad for putting him in the right place at the right time for the Keno win. They began meeting regularly when a major career change brought the 42-year-old Maryland native back home to work for a major local health provider.
The two meet at the Rosedale Shell, munch on doughnuts and measure their luck. Father and son even share some of the same Keno numbers, both hoping the birth date for country music legend Willie Nelson might bring them luck.
James’ luck at the game changed when he purchased an eight-spot ticket, paying $2 a draw for five games. He also opted to play the game’s Super Bonus feature, making his total wager $6. On the first game of the series, all eight of his numbers appeared in the 20 numbers drawn for a $10,000 prize. Apply the Super Bonus and he walked away with $120,000 on that game plus $12 on another!
“I just tried not to cry,” he explained. “It was one of those moments that just made me so happy it seemed unreal.” Not wanting to draw attention, James and his father left the store quietly.
“The last eight weeks have been so crazy and just as things seemed to be settling down, and then this happens,” James said. He was laid off from his job during that time, relocated, started two new jobs and bought a house. “This takes some of the stress away and adds a whole new type of chaos,” he said.
The additional funds are coming at a great time as he continues transitioning into a new job and begins outfitting his new home. James plans to share a portion of the win with his family. Rosedale Shell located at 7514 Pulaski Highway is also a winner. For selling a winning Keno ticket over $20,000, the retailer will receive a bonus of $1,200.12 from the Lottery.
James’ win will go down in Lottery history as the second highest win recorded since the game began in 1993. The largest Keno win was set just two years ago with a $150,000 prize on Aug. 7, 2013.