For one retired utility worker from Maryland good fortune came twice after it was revealed he won a $2 million lottery prize for a second time.
The 65-year-old unidentified man bought two "$2,000,000 Richer" scratch-off tickets from a local Exxon gas station in North Salisbury while running errands, according to the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency.
He won a $100 prize on his first ticket. But his second ticket revealed a $2 million jackpot.
The retiree won the prize sometime during the Covid-19 pandemic, but hid his ticket in a safe at home and waited until days before the last date to claim his prize, Maryland Lottery officials said in a statement Wednesday.
“I was just a bit nervous,” the lottery winner said in a statement. “I worried that I could have a fire (at home) that would burn it up, that the ticket’s expiration date might come up and even had just a bit of doubt that it was really real.”
The "$2,000,000 Richer" scratch-off game first went on sale in 2019, offering players a chance to win prizes from $30 to $50,000 and six top prizes of $2 million.
The same Maryland man garnered his first $2 million scratch-off win several years ago and used that prize money to finance his retirement and take his family on a vacation, lottery officials said.
Now, he will use his latest lottery prize to pay for home improvements and another family vacation.
While this lottery winner considers himself a loyal "$2,000,000 Richer" scratch-off game player, he was very aware of how lucky he is and even offered some advice for other lottery players.
“Be realistic and make sure that when you play that you aren’t just playing for the big jackpot. Play for enjoyment and as long as you enjoy what you are doing, win or lose, you’ve already won,” he said.
The final date to claim any prize on the "$2,000,000 Richer" scratch-off game is Nov. 1.
