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Lucky lottery player hits double jackpots on Friday the 13th. ‘Started hollering’

The man won two $50,000 jackpots for a total of $100,000.
The man won two $50,000 jackpots for a total of $100,000. Getty Images/iStockphoto

Famously reputed to bring bad luck, Friday the 13th turned out to be one Maryland man’s lucky day, lottery officials reported.

A retired federal government employee in Prince George’s County tested the legend by buying two Pick 5 tickets at a liquor store in Temple Hills on Friday, Dec. 13, the Maryland Lottery said in a Jan. 10 news release.

He used a set of numbers that had been cropping up in his text messages, officials said, and won two $50,000 jackpots for a total of $100,000.

“I just started hollering,” the man told lottery officials. “I knew what I saw, but I still didn’t believe it.”

The man also won $1,200 on Box tickets he purchased the same day, according to lottery officials.

The man, who said he told only one friend about his winnings, plans to spend the money on bills and an upcoming birthday vacation trip, officials said.

Prince George’s County is about a 50-mile drive southwest from Baltimore.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

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.

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This story was originally published January 12, 2025 at 2:17 PM with the headline "Lucky lottery player hits double jackpots on Friday the 13th. ‘Started hollering’."

DS
Don Sweeney
The Sacramento Bee
916-321-1028
Don Sweeney has been a newspaper reporter and editor in California for more than 35 years. He is a service reporter based at The Sacramento Bee.
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