A Frederick man who began playing the Lottery during the COVID-19 pandemic found the win he had been chasing for nearly six years: A $50,000 prize on the 50X the Cash scratch-off game.
He stopped by Maryland Lottery headquarters May 18 to claim his prize and share the story behind the exciting moment. While it wasn’t the game’s top prize, the Frederick resident said it was by far the biggest win of his life.
“I’ve always hoped for a big win,” he said. “As a player, you play to win, but being a winner and seeing all those zeros brought tears of joy to my eyes.”
The stunning moment happened during what started as a routine workday. He stopped at A-1 Mart at 649 Himes Avenue in Frederick to grab coffee. He also purchased two 50X the Cash scratch-offs.
The first ticket he scratched turned out to be a non-winner, but the second left him speechless. After realizing he had won $50,000, he quickly verified the prize and headed out of the store to call his wife and daughter to share the good news.
The timing of the win couldn’t have been better: his daughter recently graduated from college, and he plans to use part of the prize to help give her a memorable graduation celebration. After paying bills, he hopes to treat himself to a new set of golf clubs.
Following the thrilling win, the Frederick resident said he plans to scale back his lottery play for now, though he still expects to play occasionally in the future.
Launched in January, 50X the Cash has a top prize of $100,000, of which four remain unclaimed. Six of the game’s second-tier $50,000 prizes remain in circulation after the Frederick win.
