Wins first $50,000 top prize playing Gold Bar Bingo consistently
“Pick a card and stay consistent,” suggested the friend of a Prince George’s County scratch-off player. The 43-year-old followed the kind advice and it paid off to the tune of $50,000! He consistently played the $5 Gold Bar Bingo scratch-off and, with Lady Luck’s help, won the first prize on the game that launched its 4th edition two weeks ago.
The lucky winner kept playing the Gold Bar Bingo game when the new edition arrived and won small amounts here and there. Last Monday, he was running errands and stopped into T & T Liquors in Bowie to check four games that he previously purchased for prizes. He won $20 and used the windfall to purchase four more games. The Bowie resident told Lottery officials that he likes the Gold Bar Bingo game because of the 1 in 3.83 probability of winning.
Instead of scratching the games, the logistics operations manager scanned the instant tickets’ barcodes. The first scratch-off was not a winner, the next two won $5 each but the message for the fourth ticket said $50,000. Stunned, the married player discreetly left the store and called his wife from the car.
“I told her I hit and she thought I was playing,” he told Lottery officials. “I told her I wasn’t playing about this.” He proceeded to scratch the entire instant ticket to see how exactly he won.
The loyal player later went back into the store and had the cashier scan the scratch-off once again. She did and handed him a slip that confirmed his $50,000 win.
“I never thought I would win this much money,” said the winner when he claimed his prize at Lottery headquarters this week.
The big winner said he’s learned from past experience what not to do if you come into a large amount of money. So, he plans to put his prize into savings for now and will consider investing the funds.
This is the first $50,000 top-prize winning scratch-off sold since the 4th edition of the Gold Bar Bingo game went on sale in July. There are seven more top prizes awaiting discovery, along with 10 $10,000 prizes, six $5,000 prizes and many others ranging from $5 to $1,000.
Lottery retailer T & T Liquors, located at 13801 Annapolis Road in Bowie, also has reason to celebrate. For selling a $50,000 top-prize winning scratch-off, the retailer will receive a $500 bonus from the Lottery.
