
‘Stunned' lottery player has clerk check ticket. His grin told him win was real
The Eastern Shore man bought a few $5 Joker's Wild tickets at a Greenbelt store upon seeing there was one top prize remaining, Maryland Lottery officials said in an Aug. 11 news release.
When he scratched his tickets, lottery officials said the man realized one had a number that came with a $50,000 prize.
'I was stunned,' the man told lottery officials. 'I couldn't believe it.'
Skeptical, the player 'wanted to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him,' lottery officials said.
Without giving any indication that the ticket may be a winner, 'he gave his ticket to a store clerk to scan,' lottery officials said.
'When he scanned and I saw the grin on his face, I knew it was real,' the winner said.
The man told lottery officials he saved the coin he used to scratch his winning ticket.
'Now I have a lucky quarter,' he said.
The winner said he plans to use his winnings 'to square (up) his finances.'
Greenbelt is about a 30-mile drive southwest from Baltimore.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


UPI
3 hours ago
- UPI
Maryland man follows lucky feeling to a $31,670 lottery prize
Aug. 14 (UPI) -- A Maryland man said he followed a lucky feeling and won $31,670, marking the second time such an impulse has earned him a big lottery prize. The Baltimore man told Maryland Lottery officials he was feeling unusually lucky on Tuesday, so he visited Speedy Convenience on Darlington Drive in Baltimore to play Racetrax, the lottery's virtual horse racing game. The player said he chose his numbers by looking at which horses had not been winning recently. "I've had pretty good luck this way," he said. The player said he nearly gave up hope halfway through the race, when one of his horses was at the back of the pack. "When I looked back up at the screen, my #12 horse was really gaining ground. You should have heard me yelling at him to keep it up," he said. The man ended up winning $31,670 from his $6 trifecta box wager. The virtual horse race marked the second time he followed a feeling to a big lottery prize. "Five or six years ago it was a different kind of feeling, but it was memorable enough that I bought a scratch-off and won big," he recalled.


Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Miami Herald
‘Stunned' lottery player has clerk check ticket. His grin told him win was real
A Maryland lottery player verified his big win not by scanning his ticket but instead by the reaction of a store clerk. The Eastern Shore man bought a few $5 Joker's Wild tickets at a Greenbelt store upon seeing there was one top prize remaining, Maryland Lottery officials said in an Aug. 11 news release. When he scratched his tickets, lottery officials said the man realized one had a number that came with a $50,000 prize. 'I was stunned,' the man told lottery officials. 'I couldn't believe it.' Skeptical, the player 'wanted to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him,' lottery officials said. Without giving any indication that the ticket may be a winner, 'he gave his ticket to a store clerk to scan,' lottery officials said. 'When he scanned and I saw the grin on his face, I knew it was real,' the winner said. The man told lottery officials he saved the coin he used to scratch his winning ticket. 'Now I have a lucky quarter,' he said. The winner said he plans to use his winnings 'to square (up) his finances.' Greenbelt is about a 30-mile drive southwest from Baltimore.


CBS News
3 days ago
- CBS News
Maryland sports wagering brings in $7.2 million for state in July
Maryland's sports wagering market generated $7.25 million in state contributions in July, according to Maryland Lottery and Gaming. During the month sports betters wagered more than $364,075,296, and won back $319,514,522 in prizes. Mobile betting dominated the market, accounting for $357.5 million in wagers compared to $6.55 million at retail sportsbooks. In July, $5.47 million went to the Blueprint for Maryland's Future Fund, which supports public education, and $1.78 million from mobile wagering was directed to the state's General Fund. Last month, sport wagering operators began paying a higher tax rate to the state. Retail operators pay 15% of their taxable win to the Blueprint Fund. Mobile operators pay 15% to the Blueprint Fund plus 5% to the General Fund, for a combined rate of 20%. Since sports wagering launched in December 2021, Maryland has collected $182.85 million for the Blueprint Fund and $1.78 million for the General Fund. The state has also received $4.67 million from expired prizes, which are allocated to the Problem Gambling Fund. The Blueprint was originally passed by the Maryland General Assembly in 2021 to reform education funding and support schools with high poverty and underserved students. In March, Maryland's House of Delegates voted to change parts of the 10-year education plan, which is funded through fiscal year 2027, but projected to cause a $1.1 billion deficit in 2028. Democratic leaders said their version protects a long-term education plan that's starting to pay off during a crucial time for public schools, the Banner reported. The Banner said the legislation no longer carries some of the reforms sought by Moore, including a multi-year pause on a plan to increase planning time for teachers. Delegates opted for only a one-year pause instead. According to the Banner, state delegates also rejected Moore's proposed cuts to planned increased per-pupil funding for students in poverty and those learning English, and freezing funding levels for community schools which offer extra services to students and their families in high-poverty neighborhoods. Currently, Maryland lawmakers have been working to eliminate a $3 billion budget deficit. In July, Gov. Moore announced a state hiring freeze, voluntary employee buyouts, and the elimination of vacant positions within state government. Maryland's approved budget for fiscal year 2026 introduced new taxes and major reductions in state spending. The plan includes $2.3 billion in cuts.