A Southern Maryland resident who plays Lottery games every Friday for fun arrived at Lottery headquarters last week only days away from losing a $50,400 prize.
The loyal player said he routinely allocates a small amount each week toward his favorite games and saves any winning tickets. That has been his routine for so long that he occasionally misplaces or loses tickets.
This time, he had a Bonus Match 5 ticket purchased for the July 12 drawing sitting inside a file container. Had he not checked the container, he could have missed the 182-day deadline to claim his $50,400 top-prize winner.
He purchased the ticket for $4 at a Shell gas station located at 20943 Point Lookout Road in Callaway.
The sports enthusiast uses jersey numbers from his favorite sports teams for his number selection. On July 12, he bought six boards in that night’s drawing. The fourth board yielded five matching numbers for a $50,000 top prize. In addition, the very last board, which happened to be a quick-pick selection, yielded an additional four matching numbers for $400.
Having lost tickets in the past, the winner was especially happy to have found the winning ticket. The Calvert County resident, now retired from the food service industry, is an avid sports fan, favoring basketball and boxing. He plans to use his winnings to pay bills and boost his savings.
Also in the money was Callaway Shell, which received a $500 Lottery bonus for selling a winning Bonus Match 5 ticket worth $50,000.
