Prince George’s man wins $50K Pick 5 prize after seeing lucky numbers on TV
LANHAM, MD — A Prince George’s County man turned a routine evening of watching the news into a $50,000 payday after spotting a number sequence during a broadcast and deciding to play it in the Maryland Lottery’s Pick 5 game.
The Glenarden resident, who says he rarely plays the lottery, noticed the number 29000 during a recent news story and was struck with an immediate sense that it was worth playing. He purchased a $1 straight bet ticket at Gem Liquors on Annapolis Road in Lanham, tucked it into his wallet, and went about his day.
Days later, he remembered the ticket and checked the winning numbers on the Maryland Lottery website. The five digits matched in exact order, making him a $50,000 winner.
While he was surprised by the outcome, he said he allowed the news to sink in before sharing it with his mother and grandmother — both avid lottery players — to confirm the result. His mother, who accompanied him to lottery headquarters on Thursday, said she was shocked and excited to see the numbers hit.
The unexpected win came on the same night that a woman from Washington, D.C. also played the same number five times, collecting a total of $250,000.
The Prince George’s winner plans to save most of the prize money and may use a portion to pay off his vehicle. Gem Liquors, the retailer where he purchased the winning ticket, will receive a $500 bonus from the Maryland Lottery.
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Key Points
- Prince George’s County man won $50,000 after playing numbers seen in a news story
- He matched the number 29000 in an exact order Pick 5 bet purchased in Lanham
- Retailer receives $500 bonus for selling the winning ticket
