Forgot to check his ticket after June 22 drawing
The mystery is solved! A 68-year-old Germantown man who forgot to check his Bonus Match 5 ticket after the June 22 drawing wound up holding the $50,000 top-prize winning ticket!
“I had almost forgotten I even purchased the ticket,” said the lucky winner, who has worked in the restaurant business for several years. “I only remembered when I saw that there was a big $50,000 BM5 winner sign at the Brighton Beer & Wine where I tend to get tickets when I do decide to play. That’s when I raced home and decided to check my tickets. The rest is history.”
The lucky numbers he played at the Gaithersburg retailer the day of the drawing included family members’ birth dates. Letting the terminal quick pick numbers is not his idea of Bonus Match 5 fun. “When I do play, I like to pick my own numbers,” said the Montgomery County resident.
This is his first big prize in 2015; his previous top win came last year and totaled $400. The bachelor is fairly new to the game and started playing when the Lottery ran a taxes-paid promotion on top-prize wins. “I certainly wish you guys would bring that promotion back!”
He plans to save most of his prize and spend some of it on a trip he booked prior to the win. He’s headed to Ocean City with his girlfriend of several years. Brighton Beer & Wine, located at 225 Muddy Branch Road in Montgomery County, is also a winner. The store earned a $500 bonus from the Lottery for selling the top-prize winning ticket.