‘Excitement grew’ as grandpa matched one lottery number — then another and another

A grandpa in Maryland landed the “biggest prize of his life,” lottery officials said.

The 48-year-old who works in construction went to a 7-Eleven in Beltsville to place a $1 bet for a Pick 5 game, according to an Oct. 4 news release by the Maryland Lottery.

But the avid lottery player had no clue the license plate number he used for the game would land him $50,000, officials said.

He used the number after seeing it on a plate and deciding to “try his luck,” lottery officials said.

The man pulled out his phone to check the drawing and his “excitement grew” when he saw one number after another match, the release said.

“I was very quiet,” he told lotto officials.

But his luck hadn’t run out yet.

Only two days later, the man won another $500 with a Pick 3 ticket, the release said.

The man shared the good news with his wife and then went back to the 7-Eleven to confirm the win, officials said.

The man plans to save all the prize money “for a rainy day,” officials said.

Beltsville is about 30 miles southwest of Baltimore.

This story was originally published October 4, 2023 at 4:36 PM with the headline "‘Excitement grew’ as grandpa matched one lottery number — then another and another."