JOPPA, MD — A quick stop for hot dogs and lottery tickets turned into a $50,000 payday for a New Hampshire man working in Maryland, after a $5 Let’s Make a Deal® scratch-off hit big just before his return home.
The out-of-state worker, homesick and traveling with a crew on assignment, bought two scratch-offs and some hot dogs at the Sheetz at 601 Pulaski Highway in Joppa. A co-worker’s offhand comment — “Could you imagine if one of us won the lottery?” — inspired the purchase.
The result: a $50,000 top-prize win on the Let’s Make a Deal® ticket, which the man claimed at Maryland Lottery headquarters on May 23, just before heading back to New Hampshire.
He plans to consult with his father about the winnings, saying he expects to save it all — except for one purchase: a fishing rod.
The Sheetz location will receive a $500 bonus from the Lottery for selling the winning ticket. The game launched in April with seven top-tier $50,000 prizes; four remain unclaimed as of Friday.
The Let’s Make a Deal® ticket also includes a second-chance promotion through Sept. 8 for players to win cash or a VIP trip to a Hollywood taping of the TV game show.
