Longtime Bonus Match 5 fan wins $50,000 top prize in Oct. 3 drawing
A Washington County man visited Maryland Lottery headquarters on Monday to claim a prize he has waited years to win. The Bonus Match 5 fan bought tickets almost daily for a decade before Lottery luck found him on Oct. 3. Now that the game’s $50,000 top prize is his, the winner and his wife plan to give most of it away.
“I purchased my ticket just as I always do, and checked the results on my Lottery app before bed, just as I always do,” said the 72-year-old, who found his lucky win with a quick-pick ticket. “I was expecting to see no or few matches, just as I always do, but it was the exact opposite. Every number matched.”
Shocked, the retired construction specialist gathered his wits and woke his wife. “I should have let her sleep, but I had to tell someone!” The couple celebrated and then, while his wife returned to bed, the loyal player researched the Lottery’s claiming process. “I was way too excited to sleep,” he said.
The Western Maryland couple will donate a significant portion of their $50,000 Bonus Match 5 top prize to several charities whose work they admire. The management of Roxy Liquors at 761 E. Wilson Boulevard in Hagerstown will receive a $500 bonus from the Lottery for selling the top-prize winning ticket in the daily game.
