A longtime Maryland Lottery player from Greenbelt is celebrating a big win after scratching his way to a $50,000 prize.
The winner visited Maryland Lottery headquarters in Baltimore on March 3 to claim his prize and share the story behind his win.
The winner has been playing Lottery games for about 10 years and says he’s enjoyed moderate success along the way. Over the past few months he says he has won about $1,000 playing various games. His favorites lately include Keno, Multi-Match and any new scratch-offs that hit retailers.
“I like the newer scratch-offs,” he said. “It feels like the chances of winning are better.”
Of course, the odds are the same, regardless of when you play, but newly released scratch-off games are very popular.
His big win came from a bit of reinvestment. On the day of his winning purchase, he stopped by Greenway Liquors at 7533 Greenbelt Road in Greenbelt and bought several scratch-offs. One ticket yielded a $5 win, which he used to purchase a Deluxe Crossword scratch-off.
After scratching the ticket, he scanned it on the store’s Lottery ticket checker machine and quickly realized something special had happened. The cashier scanned it to verify and noticed the result, then took him aside to confirm the prize amount. The tally the cashier shared stunned the winner: $50,000.
Still processing the moment, the winner quickly left the store and rushed home to share the news with his wife and son. Since then, he has kept a relatively low profile while thinking carefully about how to use the unexpected windfall. One of his top goals is to invest in a storefront or business that could benefit his family.
Despite the big win, he says he isn’t finished playing the Lottery. Laughing, he said he might even have a few more tickets sitting in his car.
He also shared a bit of advice for fellow players: “When you play, have a goal in mind, but make it fun. That’s what I do.”
The winner isn’t the only one celebrating. The ticket was sold at Greenway Liquors, which receives a $500 bonus.
