GREENBELT, MD — A Queen Anne’s County man struck gold with the final $50,000 top prize from the Maryland Lottery’s Joker’s Wild scratch-off game after buying a few tickets on a hunch.
The Eastern Shore resident, whose name was not released, claimed his prize at Lottery headquarters in Baltimore on August 11 after purchasing the lucky $5 ticket at Live on TV, a retailer located on Greenbelt Road in Prince George’s County.
The player said he knew only one top prize remained on the game and decided to try his luck. After scratching off the ticket with a quarter, he noticed a matching number revealing the $50,000 prize. To be certain, he handed the ticket to a store clerk to scan. The clerk’s grin confirmed the win.
Now calling the quarter his “lucky coin,” the winner said he plans to keep it for future lottery attempts. He shared that the prize money will go toward stabilizing his finances.
The retailer will receive a $500 bonus from the Maryland Lottery for selling the winning ticket.
Joker’s Wild launched on July 22, 2024, and is now in the process of closing out. Lower-tier prizes between $5 and $5,000 can still be claimed through March 2, 2026.
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Key Points
- A Queen Anne’s County man won the final $50,000 top prize on the Joker’s Wild scratch-off
- He used a quarter to scratch the winning ticket and confirmed it with a store clerk
- The winner plans to use the money to pay off debts, and the store gets a $500 bonus