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Wife nearly convinces husband he didn’t win lottery — until she checks ticket 3 times

A Maryland man who plays the lottery every week finally won big — and his wife didn’t believe him. She was so certain he hadn’t really won that she almost convinced him of the same.
A Maryland man who plays the lottery every week finally won big — and his wife didn’t believe him. She was so certain he hadn’t really won that she almost convinced him of the same. Photo by Dylan Nolte via Unsplash

He plays Powerball and Mega Millions every week — and when he finally won big, his wife didn’t believe him.

The Maryland man’s routine has won him smaller prizes here and there, but he finally got lucky when he bought numbers for three Powerball drawings at a Giant Food Store in Severna Park, state lottery officials said in an Aug. 11 news release.

He matched four white balls and the Powerball on Aug. 7, “giving him a third-tier $50,000 prize,” officials said.

He showed his wife the ticket — and she didn’t believe him.

“In fact, she was so sure he had a non-winning ticket that she nearly convinced him of the same,” officials said. “Thankfully, the Anne Arundel County resident checked another three times before giving up.”

The winner plans to pay off his debt with his winnings and enjoy some boating on his already-planned retirement from his 40-year electronics career, officials said.

Severna Park is 40 miles northeast of Washington, D.C.

What to know about Powerball

To score a jackpot in the Powerball, a player must match all five white balls and the red Powerball.

The odds of winning the jackpot prize are 1 in 292,201,338.

Tickets cost $2 and can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times vary by state.

Drawings are broadcast Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:59 p.m. ET and can be streamed online.

Powerball is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

What to know about Mega Millions

To score a jackpot in the Mega Millions, a player must match all five white balls and the gold Mega Ball.

The odds of landing the jackpot prize are 1 in 302,575,350.

Tickets cost $2 and can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times vary by state.

Drawings are held Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 p.m. ET and can be streamed online.

Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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This story was originally published August 11, 2023 at 2:26 PM with the headline "Wife nearly convinces husband he didn’t win lottery — until she checks ticket 3 times."

Brooke Baitinger
McClatchy DC
Brooke Baitinger is a former journalist for McClatchyDC.
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