Congrats to the “Scratch-off King” from Columbia, who found $50,000 worth of fun playing Bonus Match 5. |
Columbia man claims top prize in daily game
Friends and neighbors call him the “Scratch-off King” because instant tickets are his game of choice. After all, they’ve given this avid Maryland Lottery player two big wins. Imagine his surprise when a twist of fate turned his Bonus Match 5 ticket into a $50,000 top-prize winner!
The outpatient drug counselor stopped at the 7-Eleven in Columbia to pick up several Lottery games – including the lucky Bonus Match 5 ticket – on his way to work. He tucked them away to enjoy later. Because his line of work demands long hours, the Columbia man missed the May 4 Bonus Match 5 drawing and instead called the Lottery’s winning numbers line to check his games.
He was surprised to see his Bonus Match 5 numbers matched the winning numbers. “I got that one, I got that one, I got that one,” he said, recalling the exciting moment and smiling at the memory. “I was starting to think my luck had run out, until I heard those numbers.”
The 63-year-old quietly folded his winning ticket up into a tiny, little square and put it away in his wallet. Not saying a word to anyone, he recalled a horoscope message he’d read the prior week. “It said I was going to have luck in the upcoming week,” said the winner, “and then, this happened!”
The next day, his first stop was Lottery headquarters in Baltimore to claim his prize. The “Scratch-off King” had visited before for his big scratch-off wins. “The first was $100,000 on that Natty Boh ticket and then some years later, I won $50,000 on Fabulous 5s,” he said.
He plans to spend his prize on home improvements and bills. Sharing in the excitement of his win is his lucky retailer, 7-Eleven #39563 located at 8850 Centre Park Drive. The retailer will receive a $500 bonus from the Lottery for selling the top-prize ticket in the game.