The odds of winning the lottery once are slim to none, especially when you’re playing a game that requires you to choose your own numbers.
But on the off chance that you choose the correct numbers and buy multiple tickets with that set of numbers on it, you could be looking at winnings you never even imagined.
This was the nearly unbelievable case for one anonymous man from Accokeek in Prince George’s County, Maryland who won the $50,000 prize on a Pick 5 ticket — 15 separate times.
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The 65-year-old man purchased the winning tickets at a liquor store called Brother Liquors located in Fort Washington, Maryland. His overall winnings on the tickets total roughly $750,000 before taxes.
“He told his wife that her days of working were over,” the Maryland Lottery said in a release announcing the man’s big win. “He has also been planning for his retirement after 20 years as a federal employee.”
The Maryland Lottery also revealed that this is not the man’s first win, noting that he’s won “several other prizes” playing different games over the years, namely the Pick 4 game.
The liquor store where he purchased the tickets will also receive a $500 bonus per ticket for the man’s wins, totaling $7,500.
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According to Maryland state policy, lottery winnings between $601 and $5,000 will not have taxes deducted before the winner receives the prize (though they do have to be reported during tax season).
Prizes $5,001 and higher are subject to a 24% federal tax and an 8.95% Maryland state tax for residents.
This would make the mystery Accokeek’s man winnings worth roughly $502,875 when all is said and done.
The Maryland Lottery has awarded an estimated $1.73 billion in prizes to lottery players in fiscal year 2023.
