The Maryland Lottery’s 50th anniversary is in full swing, and new products and promotions continue to deliver prizes across the state.
On May 15, 1973, the first player bought the first Maryland Lottery ticket. Since then, millions more people have played and more than $31.5 billion has been won. It’s been a half-century of huge fun.
Last week, the Lottery paid more than $42 million in prizes to players, and one of those winners walked away with the first $5 million top prize on the 50 Years! scratch-off. “Happy Dad” from New Carrolton purchased the lucky ticket at Liquor City in Lanham and visited the Lottery office to claim the prize on March 13. Two additional $5 million top-prizes on the 50 Years! ticket remain unclaimed, along with more than a million other prizes ranging from $50 to $100,000.
“We’re marking our history this year, but last week we had a chance to make a little history as well,” said Maryland Lottery and Gaming Director John Martin. “$5 million is the largest scratch-off prize we’ve ever awarded. We’re only three months into the year, so there are still plenty of winning experiences to come as we continue celebrating our anniversary.”
The beginning of the Baltimore Orioles 2023 season on March 30 also means the return of the Lottery’s popular Contestant of the Game second-chance promotion, which has a 50th anniversary twist this year.
Players who purchase and enter winning or non-winning Home Run Riches FAST PLAY tickets into their My Lottery Rewards accounts between March 6 and Aug. 28 will be automatically entered in the promotion. Monthly drawings will be held to select a Contestant of the Game for every Orioles regular-season game.
Each Contestant of the Game will win $500 for being selected and an additional $500 for every home run the Orioles hit during their designated game. To celebrate the Lottery’s 50th anniversary, the promotion will also award a pair of $50,000 prizes. The lucky Contestant of the Game when the Orioles hit their 50th home run of the season will receive $50,000. And the Lottery will award another $50,000 prize in the promotion’s final drawing on Aug. 29.
Two new scratch-off games connected with the Lottery’s 50th anniversary hit store shelves today. The vibrant $1 MD Lottery Logo ticket highlights past and current Lottery logos with four different designs, including the wishbone, circle, starburst and 50 Years logos. The $10 Maryland Riches is an oversized Maryland-themed ticket with images of crabs and Black-eyed Susan flowers, offering nine top prizes of $100,000.
Also launching today is the $3 Frogger scratch-off ticket, a fun throwback to its namesake video game from the 1980s. It features six top prizes of $30,000, and also has a second-chance contest that will award three Frogger home-arcade units.
More games and promotions to celebrate our 50th anniversary will be announced in future months. For a complete list of Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency historical milestones, click here.
About Maryland Lottery and Gaming – Since its inception in 1973, the Maryland Lottery has awarded more than $31.5 billion in prizes to Lottery players and generated more than $18.6 billion in Lottery revenue to the State of Maryland. One of Maryland’s largest revenue sources, the Lottery supports important state programs and services including education, public safety and health, human resources and the environment. Maryland Lottery and Gaming also serves as regulator of the state’s casino and sports wagering programs, which launched in 2010 and 2021, respectively. For Lottery information, visit mdlottery.com. For casino and sports wagering information, visit mdgaming.com. Maryland Lottery and Gaming strongly encourages responsible play. Maryland residents can obtain confidential help with a gambling problem at no cost by calling 1-800-GAMBLER or visiting mdgamblinghelp.org.
