Lottery player wasn’t paying attention as he scanned ticket — then saw all the zeros
When a lottery player in Maryland stopped into a Kwik Mart for his regular scratch-off ticket, he never expected to win big.
The Middle River resident has been playing the lottery two or three times a week without a big prize, but finally his luck changed, Maryland Lottery officials said in a Feb. 13 news release.
The player bought something from the store and had $10 left to spend, officials said, so he decided to go ahead and get a lottery ticket.
He bought an instant ticket that won $20, he told officials, but rather than taking the cash, he turned around and bought another instant ticket, for 100X the Cash, with the winnings.
He scanned the second ticket but wasn’t really paying attention, he told lottery officials.
He said he saw a five, but didn’t look closely, according to the release.
The player scanned the ticket again, this time taking a closer look, and saw four zeros following the five, officials said.
He had won $50,000 — his biggest win ever.
The winner, who has been working as a warehouse manager for the past four decades, told officials he called his partner to share the exciting news.
The two plan to take a trip later this year to celebrate, he told lottery officials, where he can do some of his favorite things like golfing and shooting pool.
The man won the instant ticket game’s second-highest prize, officials said. Five more $50,000 tickets remain, along with six $1 million top prizes.
Middle River is about 10 miles northeast of Baltimore.
Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.
If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.
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