Player walks away with $50,000 prize in Sept. 28 drawing
A Perry Hall man cannot believe his luck after pulling a $50,000-winning ticket at random out of a bucket piled with Powerball tickets. The Baltimore County resident was part of a group that decided to play Powerball for the first time and he wound up a big winner.
Back on Sept. 28, when the Powerball jackpot had rolled to an estimated annuity of $243 million, the group decided to take a chance on the game. The novices purchased 50 tickets, placed them in a bucket and then took turns picking out tickets. A $2 quick-pick ticket drawn by the lucky player contained a huge third-tier surprise for that evening’s drawing. However, he didn’t know it just yet.
Fast forward to December, when the player was on the phone with a member of the Powerball group and the topic of the Powerball purchase came up. The player had forgotten all about the ticket in his wallet. After hanging up with his friend, he decided to check the Powerball numbers from the drawing and will never forget what was revealed.
“Four of the white balls and the Powerball matched,” he told Lottery officials, still in shock. “And then, I saw how much it was worth and couldn’t believe it.”
Excited, the married man shared the news with his wife, who he said was, “happy and angry because she’s not a fan of Lottery play.”
The big winner visited Lottery headquarters this week to claim the $50,000 prize. He told Lottery officials that he’s going to put the funds in the bank and decide later what to do with his windfall. The group purchased all of the tickets from the Nottingham Royal Farms located at 5361 Nottingham Drive in Baltimore County.
Although the jackpot was hit last weekend by a New York player, Powerball has a new two-week promotion under way in Maryland. Players who buy a Powerball ticket from now through Dec. 22 could win a free $2 Mega Millions ticket. The estimated jackpot annuity for Wednesday’s drawing is $30 million with an estimated cash option of $14.5 million.
