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NEED TO KNOW
- A “Proud Granddad” in Maryland won a total of $1 million after buying two matching lottery tickets
- “To look her in the eye and say I had a $500,000 win was good. It was really good to say I had a million!” he said of telling his wife the good news
- The man inadvertently played the same winning numbers — a string of relatives’ birth years — on two tickets
A Maryland man is $1 million richer after inadvertently purchasing an extra lottery ticket this summer and doubling his winnings.
On Monday, Aug. 18, a man from Prince George’s County could not remember if he’d already gotten a ticket for an upcoming Powerball drawing. To play it safe, he bought a ticket that covered the next three drawings, including a Double Play option, state lottery officials said in a release shared on Aug. 27. After the purchase, he and his wife left for an out-of-state trip.
When the drawing happened while they were away on Aug. 20, he checked the drawing results and discovered he’d won $500,000. The man, who is only being publicly identified by the nickname “Proud Granddad,” told his wife about their prize, but knew he also had a possible second ticket waiting at home that he needed to check as well.
Sure enough, his luck didn’t stop there. He’d ended up playing the same winning numbers — a string of relatives’ birth years — on a ticket he’d bought earlier, on Aug. 12. That one covered five drawings and also included the Double Play option. He found it when they arrived back home.
“I played it and I forgot I played it,” he told lottery officials on Aug. 26 when he and his wife claimed their prize. He’d purchased the tickets at two different locations.
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In the end, he won two second-tier $500,000 prizes in the Aug. 20 Double Play drawing, earning him $1 million in total. He quickly shared the extra good news with his wife. “To look her in the eye and say I had a $500,000 win was good. It was really good to say I had a million!” he said. “It’s truly an unbelievable moment.”
The couple, who is recently retired, has a big family and they’re now eager to support their children and grandkids.
The man plans to keep playing the lottery, hoping his luck hasn’t run out yet. “That was Powerball. Maybe Mega Millions is waiting,” he told lottery officials.
If you or someone you know is struggling with a gambling problem, please contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network at 1-800-522-4700 or go to gamtalk.org.
