Lottery player’s bad day takes a big turn. ‘We celebrated with everybody in the store’
A Maryland lottery player was having a bad day — then it took a major turn.
The man said he couldn’t contain himself when he realized the scratch-off ticket he bought at a convenience store was worth $100,000.
“We were loud about it,” the winner told the Maryland Lottery in a Nov. 3 news release. “We celebrated with everybody in the store.”
The cheerful moments broke out at a 7-Eleven in Mount Airy, roughly 35 miles west of Baltimore. The lottery player was there with his brother when he decided to spend $50 on a game called “50 Years!”
“We were having a bad day, so I said, ‘Let me try the 50 Years! scratch-offs,’” the winner told lottery officials.
He scored a jackpot prize in that game after he had a big win in the past. He won $10,000 but thought his luck had run out since then.
One store that he stopped going to sold a $1 million ticket. And another time, he didn’t play the lottery the day that his go-to numbers were drawn, according to officials.
The winner said he and his brother had a “100% better” day after his luck changed. The player — an accountant only identified by the nickname “Harry’s Happy Days” — said he plans to surprise his wife with the news that they’re getting richer.
The man lives in Montgomery County and plans to save his winnings for retirement. Officials in their news release didn’t say how much money he kept after taxes.
It’s not the first time a joyous lottery player has celebrated inside a store. In North Carolina, one winner jumped up and down, and a couple started “hootin’ and hollerin’” over their ticket, McClatchy News reported.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhen gambling is more than a game
Gambling is designed to be a source of entertainment.
If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.
This story was originally published November 3, 2023 at 3:24 PM with the headline "Lottery player’s bad day takes a big turn. ‘We celebrated with everybody in the store’."
