Coffee craving puts man ‘in the right place at the right time’ to score big lottery win
Unbeknownst to a superstitious Maryland man, a craving for a hot cup of Joe would put him “in the right place at the right time” to score a big winning lottery ticket.
While the Dundalk man stopped by a Rosedale Shell on July 3 for his caffeine fix, he also picked up an 8-spot Keno ticket with a “Super Bonus option for 10 drawings,” Maryland Lottery officials said in a July 8 news release.
The man, a retired police officer, has been playing lottery games for more than two decades and made the switch from buying scratch-off tickets to Keno tickets after a $5,000 win a few years ago, officials said.
Over the years, the man, “known for his superstitions,” has learned to stick to “numbers that hold personal meaning, such as family birthdays, or will play digits with special meanings involving his wife,” the release said.
During the eighth Keno drawing, “which had a 5X Super Bonus,” the man’s numbers popped up, according to officials.
The man “couldn’t believe his eyes;” he won $50,036.
Shrouded in disbelief, the man told lottery officials he asked the store clerk to verify his win.
“It’s not every day you win money like that,” the man told lottery officials.
The clerk confirmed his big win.
“I didn’t believe him at first,” the man said, per the release.
After overcoming his doubt, lottery officials said the man rushed “home to share the incredible news with his son.”
The man already has plans for his prize money.
“I’ll pay off a few bills, buy my dream truck and stash the rest in savings,” the man told lottery officials, adding that he plans to continue playing lottery games.
“I’ll stick with these lucky numbers and maybe lightning will strike twice,” the man said, per the release.
Rosedale is about a 6-mile drive northeast from Baltimore.
This story was originally published July 9, 2024 at 7:02 AM with the headline "Coffee craving puts man ‘in the right place at the right time’ to score big lottery win."
