BALTIMORE (July 14, 2016)—Pulling up to a gas station fuel pump only to find a broken pay-at-the-pump device sent an Upper Marlboro man on the path to a $525,000 Multi-Match jackpot win.
The 50-year-old restaurant manager, who elected not to be publicly named, is a big fan of the Maryland Lottery's twice-weekly Multi-Match game.
"I like that it's a Maryland game and the jackpots, while not the millions and millions that Powerball and Mega Millions have, are pretty significant—certainly big enough for me," he said. On Monday, July 11, the Prince George's County resident stopped for gas at Dash In #15521 in Upper Marlboro. Because of the broken device, he made the frustrating trip into the store where he bought gas and a Multi-Match ticket for the July 11 and July 14 drawings. He played one line of his own numbers—2, 9, 14, 16, 20 and 38—and let the terminal quick pick two more lines of numbers.
Up early the next day and well into his morning routine, the loyal player checked the Multi-Match results online. His numbers matched the winning numbers!
"I really didn't believe what I was seeing," he said. "The thought that kept running through my head was, 'This can't be real.' "
He woke his wife to help confirm the win. Eventually, the couple exhausted every possible way in which they could be reading the ticket or the results incorrectly. "It took a while, but we became convinced," he said. "What an amazing morning!"
The cash option on the jackpot was $262,500, which the couple decided to take. They plan to go on a vacation and share their good fortune with family, friends and even strangers. "We've been contributing our time and money to a health clinic for people with few other options," he said. "Our next donation is going to be a doozy."
For selling the jackpot-winning ticket, the Lottery retailer also wins! The Lottery will give Dash In at 15501 Marlboro Pike a $1,000 bonus.