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.
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Meanwhile, Beards Hill Liquors isn’t left out of the win — the retailer receives a $500 bonus for selling the lucky ticket.