Aberdeen tech worker nearly trashes ticket before realizing it won $50K
ABERDEEN, MD — An IT professional from Harford County thought his lottery ticket was a dud — until a second look at home revealed a $50,000 payday from the Maryland Lottery’s $5 Cash Scratch Fever game.
The Aberdeen man, who only plays the Lottery about twice a year, stopped at Beards Hill Liquors on Beards Hill Road and casually bought one ticket from a Lottery kiosk. He scratched the bonus section in his car, saw “please try again,” and assumed it was a loss.
It wasn’t until he got home and scratched the rest of the ticket that he noticed multiple $5,000 prize amounts. Still unsure, he thought he had scored just $5,000 — until he scanned the ticket using the Maryland Lottery app and realized he had matched the snowflake symbol nine times for $45,000, and had also hit a flame symbol worth another $5,000.
“I thought I was asleep and wondered when I would wake up,” the stunned winner said after realizing he’d won one of the top prizes.
The man, who enjoys skiing when he’s not behind a computer screen, plans to use his winnings on home renovations, contribute to his daughter’s college savings, and stash the rest away.
Meanwhile, Beards Hill Liquors isn’t left out of the win — the retailer receives a $500 bonus for selling the lucky ticket.