An avid lottery player took a break from playing — and won big upon his return to Maryland, officials said.
He decided to buy a ticket during a Walmart run in Columbia, about a 20-mile drive southwest of Baltimore, lottery officials said in a news release.
“I stopped playing a while ago for two reasons,” he told the officials. “I wasn’t having much luck, and my wife hinted that maybe I was spending too much.”
The last time he had success was a $200 win playing a 50X The Cash scratch game in February.
“Not winning much made it easy for me to take a break and show my wife that I understood her concerns,” he said.
Then something convinced him to “get back in the game,” officials said. He remembered his wife asking him to run an errand for her and stopped at a Walmart on his way home from his job as a produce manager at a supermarket.
“I turned the corner and there was a lottery machine,” he said. “The first game I saw in it was 100X The Cash, which reminded me of my last big winner.”
He tried his luck with an instant ticket that caught his attention, officials said. The tickets are “two of a family of six scratch-off tickets with a similar playing style, progressively higher top prizes and a second chance promotion,” officials said.
Less than a minute later, he would realize he had won $1 million, officials said.
“When I got the million dollar win, I was shocked but remained very calm,” he said. “I was just overwhelmed with gratitude.”
The “happy father” rushed to his son’s office to tell him the big news, officials said.
“My son remained calm, but there were tears in his eyes,” he said. “It was very emotional for us.”
He plans to share his winnings with his family and build up a savings account, officials said.
“My wife and I are so relieved that we don’t have to worry about our future,” he said.
Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. For some, however, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.
If you or a loved one is showing signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the National Gambling Hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visit the National Council on Problem Gambling website.
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