ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND – Robert Lang of Annapolis plans to use his $50,004 in Powerball winnings from the Jan. 1 drawing to pay for his daughter’s wedding.
When he looked at his Powerball numbers the morning after the Jan. 1 drawing, Robert Lang says he experienced “glee, then sorrow,” because he picked up a $50,004 consolation prize but missed the big jackpot by one number.
With the Powerball jackpot closing in on $483 million for the first drawing of 2022, Robert was talking with friends about the amount of money at stake. That discussion prompted the Annapolis resident to do something he doesn’t usually do: buy Powerball tickets! The father of five adult children bought 10 quick-pick numbers for $20 at 7-Eleven #23705, located at 1527 Forest Drive in Annapolis, and tucked the two tickets away until after the drawing.
When he looked at his tickets, one of the number combinations stood out. The Anne Arundel County man had 06-31-39-48-50 PB: 07 while the numbers drawn were 06-12-39-48-50 PB: 07. If not for that second winning number being 12 instead of 31, his hefty prize would have been millions of dollars bigger! When he claimed his prize on Jan. 4, Robert told Lottery officials he knew exactly how he is spending the windfall. “It’s all going to my daughter’s wedding,” he said.
The 70-year-old added that he is glad his other kids are sons because it keeps his traditional wedding expense obligations to a minimum. He already had money set aside for his daughter’s 2022 nuptials but said his Powerball win improves his situation.
An infrequent Lottery player, Robert reports having “stupid luck.” He recently won $800 on a casual trip to Ocean Downs Casino in Berlin, Md., not to mention $1,800 on a vacation trip to Greece. Two other recent prizes involve an excursion to Bermuda.
Asked whether his recent spate of good luck will change how often he plays Lottery tickets, Robert patted his pocket and said, “I’ve already got my tickets for the next drawing.”
The Powerball jackpot has continued to roll and sits at $610 million for the Jan. 5 drawing with a cash option of $434.2 million.