Ellicott City player feared losing winning ticket after stunning Multi-Match score
ELLICOTT CITY, Md. — A Maryland father who spent weeks terrified of losing his winning lottery ticket finally claimed a massive $570K Multi-Match jackpot that he says will help pay for his daughter’s college tuition.
The Howard County winner, who chose the nickname “Multi-Match Maniac,” matched all winning numbers in the April 16 Multi-Match drawing after playing the same set of numbers twice a week for years, according to the Maryland Lottery.
The longtime player said he usually scans his tickets instead of checking the winning numbers manually, but decided to do things differently that night.
While reviewing the results, he discovered the final line on the final game of his ticket matched every number drawn for the jackpot.
“I thought, this can’t be true,” the winner told lottery officials while claiming the prize Thursday.
The next day, he scanned the ticket at a local retailer and received a message stating the prize was too large to cash at the store.
The realization triggered weeks of anxiety for the winner, who immediately signed and hid the ticket while worrying it could disappear before he claimed it.
The player said he struggled to sleep and delayed claiming the prize for nearly a month because of the stress.
He ultimately selected the $320,000 cash option.
The winner said the money will help cover his daughter’s college tuition, while the remaining funds will be saved and invested.
The winning ticket was purchased at the 7-Eleven located at 8251 Snowden River Parkway in Columbia.
The retailer will receive a $1,000 bonus for selling the jackpot-winning ticket.
Key Points
- An Ellicott City father claimed a $570K Maryland Multi-Match jackpot
- The winner delayed claiming the ticket for weeks after fearing it could be lost
- He plans to use the money for his daughter’s college tuition and investments
