Longtime lottery player thought he won $10,000 in Maryland. The prize was much bigger

A longtime lottery player “just kept winning” in Maryland, officials said.

The Montgomery County man’s “hot streak” started with a $50 win with an instant ticket he bought in Gaithersburg, according to an April 23 news release by the Maryland Lottery. He had know clue a $100,000 prize was waiting for him.

He ended up using the $50 prize money from the scratch-off to buy five $10 50X The Cash tickets, officials said.

Before he knew it, one of the scratch-offs revealed a $500 prize, officials said.

Then he scratched another ticket and thought he’d won $10,000, officials said. Instead, the scratching had revealed a 10X symbol, which meant the prize would be multiplied by 10, equaling $100,000.

“I was happy and pleased. I have been playing for a long time,” the winner told lotto officials.

The man plans to save the money for now with the idea of potentially buying a house, officials said.

Gaithersburg is about a 50-mile drive southwest of Baltimore.

This story was originally published April 23, 2024 at 6:30 PM with the headline "Longtime lottery player thought he won $10,000 in Maryland. The prize was much bigger."