A Maryland man who said he almost never plays the lottery was inspired by the recent big Powerball jackpot to buy $100 worth of tickets, a decision that earned him a $50,000 prize. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
A Maryland man who said he rarely plays the lottery was inspired by the recent massive Powerball jackpot to buy a ticket that earned him a $50,000 prize.
The Middle River man told Maryland Lottery officials he doesn’t buy lottery tickets very often, but decided to pick up $100 worth of Powerball tickets from the Royal Farms store on Bowley’s Quarters Road in Baltimore County when he saw the jackpot approaching $1.7 billion.
The man said he was on the phone with his mother when she told him the winning numbers from the drawing, and he had matched all but one.
The player took his ticket to a bar owned by a friend and had his ticket scanned, revealing a $50,000 prize. He used the Maryland Lottery app to double check and confirmed his good fortune.
“I was alone, so I ran around celebrating like a kid with a sugar rush,” the winner said. “I was honestly so surprised because I don’t play the lottery at all.”
The man said he hasn’t given up on his jackpot dreams.
“I immediately went out and bought more tickets,” he said. “It’s fun to fantasize about winning that much money — it’s life-changing.”
