Lottery player kept quiet about win for months — then cashed in days before expiration
A Maryland lottery player hid his winning ticket for months — then waited until the ticket was about to expire to redeem his big prize, lottery officials said.
The lucky winner jumped up and down when he found out about his $50,000 win in a Pick 5 game, then he did something peculiar, the Maryland Lottery said in a Feb. 14 news release.
The truck driver hid his ticket away in a drawer and told no one about his good fortune until days before the prize’s expiration date, according to the lottery.
“I just wanted to hold on to it,” the man told lottery officials when he redeemed his prize. “But I’ll tell you I sure was excited about it.”
The man’s wife told lottery officials he kept the win from her until the day before they went to redeem it together.
“I was shocked he had that winning ticket this whole time,” she said.
He purchased his lottery ticket in August at a convenience store in Savage, about a 20-mile drive southwest from Baltimore, lottery officials said.
The man told lottery officials he plans to use some of the winnings on home improvements, a present for his wife and possibly a new vehicle.
Pick 5 prizes are based on the amount of money bet, according to the lottery. Winning tickets must be redeemed within 182 days from the date of the drawing.
This story was originally published February 14, 2025 at 4:13 PM with the headline "Lottery player kept quiet about win for months — then cashed in days before expiration."
