Grandfather’s lottery ticket left his hands ‘shaking.’ Now, he will spoil grandkids
.jpg "A Maryland lottery winner’s wife “refused to believe” that he scored a big prize.")
A lucky lottery ticket left a Maryland grandfather “standing there in shock” — and now, he plans to spoil his new grandkids.
The man eventually calmed down enough to tell his wife he won $50,000 in the Powerball game, according to the Maryland Lottery.
“My wife absolutely refused to believe me,” the winner told lottery officials in a Nov. 17 news release. “Now, I am known as a bit of a joker, but I wouldn’t kid about something like this!”
The husband’s win was the real deal, and it came after he went to Glenn Dale Mini-Mart, roughly 20 miles northeast of Washington, D.C. He tried his luck on a $2 ticket for the Nov. 11 Powerball drawing, when the estimated jackpot prize was $223 million, according to the game’s website.
Though the man missed out on the jackpot, his ticket still matched enough numbers — four white balls and the red Powerball — to win big. He said he discovered his prize while doing his regular routine of checking past lottery tickets and spending money on new ones.
“My hands started shaking when I saw what we’d won,” the winner told lottery officials. “Even after standing there in shock for a minute or two, I had a real hard time pressing the right buttons on the vending machine to buy tickets for this week.”
Lottery officials said the man and his wife recently welcomed two new grandchildren, and the prize means those kids will get “every kind of treat, gift and fun activity possible.” The couple also may get a new car.
The Maryland Lottery in its news release didn’t identify the winner or reveal how much money he kept after taxes. He lives in Laurel, about 15 miles north of the Glenn Dale convenience store.
It’s not the only time a windfall has left a loved one in disbelief. Recently, two mothers thought their children were playing jokes when they won lottery prizes in North Carolina, McClatchy News reported.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhen gambling is more than a game
Gambling is designed to be a source of entertainment.
If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.
This story was originally published November 21, 2023 at 3:35 PM with the headline "Grandfather’s lottery ticket left his hands ‘shaking.’ Now, he will spoil grandkids."
