A lost Maryland Lottery winner circled Baltimore for two hours, like a token rounding a Monopoly game board, before he landed at Lottery headquarters to collect far more than the $200 given regular Monopoly game players for passing “Go.”
The happy Waldorf man collected $50,000, becoming the first Marylander to claim the top prize in the Lottery’s popular new Monopoly scratch-off game. Launched Jan. 27, the instant ticket has five $50,000 top prizes remaining plus several second-chance contests.
Our Monopoly winner’s day began with a morning walk. When the 41-year-old finished his exercise routine, he stopped at a local store to buy two of the new Monopoly scratch-offs. His first $5 ticket was a non-winner. “I figured the second ticket might be luckier,” the player said. He figured correctly!
Nervousness set in when he scratched the ticket, starting at the bottom row, and realized he held a winner worth $50,000. The man called a friend to pick him up and take him to Lottery headquarters.
“I could not move and I knew I could not leave that spot,” said the winner. “It is not too wise to walk down the street with a $50,000 winning ticket in your pocket.”
The pair traveled to Baltimore to claim the prize but the vehicle’s GPS kept leading them the wrong way. They finally asked for help from another friend who lives in Glen Burnie. Eventually, they found their way to Lottery headquarters on Washington Boulevard.
The winner, who is not working due to a disability, is thrilled to have a nest egg. He plans to spend the money wisely and buy a new bed and new clothes. He will also treat his friend to dinner and put the rest of the money into the bank. Our lucky player bought his winning ticket at Bud’s Liquors located at 2539 Old Washington Road in Waldorf.
