$50K Winning Lotto Ticket Surprises Office Worker

COLUMBIA, MD — An office worker who knows how to remain calm in a nerve-wracking situation found himself full of jittery nerves when a lottery ticket he bought showed it was a big winner.

“I play every week and have had plenty of serious wins,” he told Maryland Lottery officials when he claimed the prize at lottery headquarters. “I thought I knew what finding a big prize would do to me, but I was definitely not ready.”

The latest Marylander to win Bonus Match 5’s top prize worth $50,000 explained that his work takes him out on the road sometimes. That’s what put him in Market Lot Liquors in Hagerstown where he crossed paths with the big winning ticket.

“I stopped there when I saw their lottery signs. Put the ticket in my wallet and didn’t think about it again,” he said.

A few days later, he was checking his lottery tickets at a retailer and was caught off guard when he saw just what he had won.

“I was going through a pile of tickets, something I do every week,” he said. “I was hoping to see a $15 or maybe even $30.”

When his $50,000 popped up, he admits he was stunned.

“I took a step or two backward before I could get ahold of myself,” he said, adding that he almost let out a whoop but cut if off. “There were people in there. I wanted to keep my secret to myself.”

Market Lot Liquors at 54 West Church Street in Hagerstown receives a $500 bonus from the Lottery for selling the top-prize-winning Bonus Match 5 ticket.