BALTIMORE (January 25, 2018)—A longtime Maryland Lottery player hit it big just in time for a big life event—his daughter's wedding. Although he has won smaller prizes in the past, the Waldorf man's $50,000 Powerball prize is by far his largest win yet.
He held onto his winning quick-pick ticket since the Dec. 30 drawing. The self-employed father of two, along with his wife, took a trip to Lottery headquarters this week to claim the prize.
"I checked the winning numbers online the day after the drawing," the lucky dad told Lottery officials. "I didn't have my glasses on at the time, so I called my wife upstairs to double check and see if it really was a winning ticket."
The couple confirmed the big win and decided to keep the ticket somewhere safe—in a dresser drawer!
"Even though I knew the ticket was safe, I've checked it five or six times just to make sure," the 55-year-old, who elected to remain anonymous to the public, said with a smile.
To win the $50,000 Powerball third-tier prize, players match four white balls plus the Power Ball. The lucky player was one of two in Maryland to win the $50,000 prize in the Dec. 30 drawing and was among 45 nationwide to do so. The jackpot, now at $112 million for the Saturday, Jan. 27 drawing, carries a cash option of $69.1 million.
In addition to using some of the prize toward his daughter's wedding, the Charles County resident plans to pay off some student loans.
He bought the winning $10 ticket at Dash In #1130 located at 11290 Billingsley Road in Waldorf.