Maryland retiree matches 25 lottery tickets with same five numbers, wins over $576K
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. - A retiree from Prince George’s County hit it big in Maryland Lottery's Bonus Match 5 game by matching all five numbers on 25 separate tickets, securing a total prize of $576,900.
The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, has been a dedicated Bonus Match 5 player for years, and Maryland Lottery reports that she rarely tries her luck in other games.
On July 21, her persistence paid off significantly.
Typically, the top prize for the game is $50,000, but the prize pool for this drawing was capped at $600,000 and split among multiple winning tickets. Each of her 25 tickets was worth $23,076.
"I’ll be happy just to have my house paid off," she said, expressing relief and joy at her windfall.
The retiree, who worked for the federal government for 30 years, initially started buying a single ticket for each drawing.
On one occasion, someone suggested she buy multiple tickets with the same combination to boost potential winnings, a strategy she adopted.
For the July 21 drawing, she purchased 25 tickets with the same numbers.
Although unaware of the prize pool limit, she took the news in stride.
"That was a big disappointment, but that’s on me," she said. "I’m very happy."
Over the years, she has won smaller prizes by using the same approach.
The number of tickets she buys for each drawing varies, often reaching 24, but this time she went for 25.
A woman of faith, she prayed for the strength to remain calm if she ever won big.
On the night of the drawing, she checked her tickets before going to bed, realized she had won, informed her son, and then managed to sleep peacefully.
Maryland Lottery announces first Mega Millions millionaire of 2024
Maryland has its first Mega Millions millionaire of 2024.
With her winnings, she plans to pay off her mortgage, organize her finances, and assist her sister financially. A celebratory vacation might also be on the horizon.
The 7-Eleven at 8200 Martin Luther King Jr. Highway in Glenarden, where she bought the tickets, will receive a bonus of $5,769, equivalent to 1 percent of the winnings for each of the 25 tickets.
Another ticket with the same winning combination was sold at the Forest Hill Sunoco on Rock Spring Road in Forest Hill, with the prize yet to be claimed as of July 24.
Despite her win, the retiree intends to keep playing Bonus Match 5, though she plans to adjust her strategy slightly.
She told Maryland Lottery that the winning numbers had personal significance but chose not to reveal them to protect her identity.