National

Lottery player makes random picks on ticket machine — and is ‘blown away’ by big win

A Maryland man won his first lottery prize after he chose his ticket at random, officials said.
A Maryland man won his first lottery prize after he chose his ticket at random, officials said. Getty Images/iStockphoto

A lottery player made random picks on a ticket machine — and hit the jackpot.

“I was just blown away,” the lucky winner told the Maryland Lottery.

The man was between deliveries at his job when he went to the Soda Pop Shop Mart in Glen Burnie, roughly 15 miles south of Baltimore. He didn’t know which game he wanted to play, so he went to a lottery vending machine and “made a random selection,” lottery officials wrote in a Feb. 16 news release.

The man’s strategy paid off big time. It turns out, the $5 scratch-off ticket he bought for the Gold Bar Bingo 4th Edition game was worth much more.

“I’ve never won before,” said the man, who discovered he scored the game’s top prize of $50,000.

The lottery didn’t identify the man or say how much money he kept after taxes. The 59-year-old Howard County resident said he plans to use his winnings to pay bills.

It’s not the first time random picks have proven lucky for a Maryland lottery player. Another man got richer after he played ticket numbers that popped into his head, McClatchy News reported in June.

BEHIND THE STORY

MORE

When gambling is more than a game

Gambling is designed to be a source of entertainment.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

Read Next
Read Next

This story was originally published February 16, 2024 at 3:10 PM with the headline "Lottery player makes random picks on ticket machine — and is ‘blown away’ by big win."

Simone Jasper
The News & Observer
Simone Jasper is a service journalism reporter at The News & Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Get one year of unlimited digital access for $159.99
#ReadLocal

Only 44¢ per day

SUBSCRIBE NOW