Lucky Mega Millions player scores big prize in Maryland. ‘I didn’t sleep that night’
A lucky lottery player was so excited about his big win in Maryland, he couldn’t sleep, lottery officials said.
The Clarksburg man won a $10,000 prize that quadrupled to $40,000 with a Megapiler on a Mega Millions ticket in the Jan. 3 drawing, the Maryland Lottery said in a Jan. 13 news release.
“I didn’t sleep that night,” he told lottery officials. “I did some research on it, signed the back and put it in the safe.”
The man bought his ticket at a gas station in Germantown, about a 30-mile drive northwest from Washington, D.C., the lottery said.
He told lottery officials he shared his good news with his son but was keeping it a surprise for his wife until he collected his winnings.
The man plans to pay bills and make plans for a trip to Europe with his prize, the lottery said.
“I’ve been working for 30 years and have never taken a big vacation,” the man, who is a security guard, said.
What to know about Mega Millions
To score the jackpot in the Mega Millions, a player must match all five white balls and the gold Mega Ball. The odds of scoring a 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. Officials have announced they will cost $5 starting in April.
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.
This story was originally published January 14, 2025 at 3:14 PM with the headline "Lucky Mega Millions player scores big prize in Maryland. ‘I didn’t sleep that night’."
