Man in disbelief over big lottery win quietly leaves store after checking ticket twice
While a Maryland man often buys lottery scratch-off tickets, he usually only purchases one kind: those that “require players to find matching numbers to win.”
However, as the Hyattsville man was buying some drinks at a Shell Food Mart in Adelphi, a $20 bingo scratch-off game, Bonus Bingo X20, caught his eye, Maryland Lottery officials said in a May 14 news release.
“I do a lot of scratch-offs but not the bingo,” the healthcare worker told lottery officials. “I wasn’t planning to buy it.”
The man scratched off his ticket in the store and was in disbelief — he won the game’s second-tier prize of $50,000, officials said.
“I thought it was a joke,” he said, per the release. “I was surprised, that’s why I went to two different scanners.”
The player quietly exited the store, only to share the good news with a friend, lottery officials said.
The man told lottery officials he plans to spend his prize on home improvements.
Adelphi is about a 31-mile drive southwest from 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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