$500,000 Winner To Buy Mom Her Dream House

SILVER SPRING, MD — A Montgomery County man’s first thought after he realized he’d won half a million dollars was his mom. A new home for his mother was all that he could talk about while claiming his $500,000 Bonus Bingo X20 prize, Maryland Lottery officials said in a news release.

While the ticket he purchased on his lunch break should allow him to set her up in style, she may not be the only one dealing with a new situation.

“I paid for my food and soda and saw that I had $20 left in my wallet,” the once-a-week Lottery player said, according to Lottery officials. “So, I decided to splurge on a $20 ticket, and Bonus Bingo was the first one I saw.”

He scratched his ticket later in the evening, and it wasn’t until he’d scanned it on the Lottery app that the enormity of his prize sunk in. “I’ve had some good wins with scratch-off tickets, even $1,000 once, but this was beyond anything I ever thought could happen.”

When asked for his immediate reaction, the lawncare specialist told the lottery that he thanked God — not for the win, but for the fact that it would allow him to take care of his mother and the whole family.

“To be able to buy the home of her dreams is such a blessing.”

When asked about anything else that might happen as a result of the big win, the Silver Spring resident hinted at the possibility of starting his own grounds-keeping business.

The winning ticket, the first Bonus Bingo X20 top prize claimed since the game’s mid-January debut, was sold at Long Branch Beer & Wine, 649 University Boulevard East in Silver Spring.

Owners of the Montgomery County business received a $1,000 bonus for selling the top-prize winner. The $20 ticket has four more $500,000 top prizes available, as well as five $50,000 second-tier winners.

If You Win

Lottery officials encourage winners to sign the backs of tickets and keep winning tickets in a safe location.

Tickets for draw games expire 182 days after the drawing. FAST PLAY tickets expire 182 days after purchase. The last date to claim for scratch-offs is posted on the scratch-offs page.

Winners of prizes larger than $25,000 must redeem tickets at the Maryland Lottery Customer Resource Center in Baltimore, which is open by appointment only.

Prizes up to $25,000 can be claimed at the cashier window of any of the six casinos in Maryland. Prizes up to $5,000 can be claimed at any of more than 400 Expanded Cashing Authority Program locations. All Maryland Lottery retailers are authorized to redeem tickets worth up to and including $600.