Grandpa wins two big lottery prizes in birthday month. ‘I just couldn’t believe it’

A grandfather from Maryland won two “huge” lottery prizes during his birthday month, officials said.

The 63-year-old retired carpenter won his first prize in late March, according to a March 30 news release from the Maryland Lottery.

While playing Racetrax, a horse-racing game, he scored $25,696.

About a week later, the man, a daily lottery player, walked to a convenience store in a suburb of Washington, D.C., to play Keno, Racetrax and other games.

Once at the store, he purchased several scratch-off tickets.

One of them had a prize of $100,000.

“I scanned it and saw all those zeros,” he told the Maryland Lottery. “I just couldn’t believe it, so I handed it to the cashier who double-checked it for me.”

After his big win was verified, he walked back to his home in Hyattsville to tell his wife.

He intends to use the winnings to travel to the Dominican Republic, his native country. He will also use it to pay off a loan and will share some with his wife, as well, according to the Maryland Lottery.

This story was originally published March 30, 2023 at 3:35 PM with the headline "Grandpa wins two big lottery prizes in birthday month. ‘I just couldn’t believe it’."