“Mr. Keno” of Bowie is saving his $20,000 in prizes for a future vacation shopping spree. |
Bowie man found his big prize at Lanham retailer
A loyal Keno fan left his favorite Lottery retailer with not one but two $10,000 winning tickets in hand after he played the same seven numbers on two five-draw tickets bought back-to-back this week.
“Oh, man!” was the quiet reaction “Mr. Keno” had when a ticket scanner confirmed his Lottery luck. The Bowie man had initially bought a five-draw 7-spot ticket with his lucky numbers 68, 69, 70, 77, 78, 79 and 80. He added the Super Bonus multiplier feature, which is his habit when playing $1 bets.
“I said, ‘I’m only going to play five games and then I’m going to leave,’ ” the lucky player said. Just as quickly, however, he changed his mind. “After they ran the last game of the five, I said, ‘Run the five games again’ and got a second ticket.”
The U.S. Marine veteran, who served eight years on assignments all over the world, settled in at Forbes BP in Lanham to see if Lottery luck was with him. Since the 48-year-old’s tickets overlapped Keno games, he wound up with two $10,000 winning tickets.
The father of three and grandfather of two has played for decades and often wins prizes up to $500. In fact, he started playing Keno in 1993 shortly after it joined the Lottery’s game lineup. “I got in on game 12,” he said, smiling.
The avid Baltimore Ravens fan works in the entertainment field. He plans to keep his win top secret, he said. What will he do with his $20,000 in prizes? Enjoy a shopping spree on his next vacation abroad! “I’ll take an extra suitcase and bring some stuff back,” he said.
His lucky retailer, Forbes BP located at 9701 Annapolis Road, is also a winner. For selling a Keno ticket that wins $10,000 or more, the Prince George’s County retailer earns a bonus of $200 — equal to 1 percent of the prize.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]