Lottery player inspired by his credit card ‘said a prayer’ — then won big
A Maryland man turned to his five-digit credit card balance for inspiration in picking lottery numbers — and he won enough to pay off his card and have winnings to spare, lottery officials said.
The man, from Upper Marlboro, won $50,000 playing Pick 5, Maryland Lottery officials said in an April 24 news release.
He bought the ticket from Moore’s Country Store in Upper Marlboro.
“One day I was looking at my credit card balance and thought it sure would be nice to be able to pay this off,” the man said, according to lottery officials. “So, I played the balance and said a prayer.”
He learned he won when he checked the lottery website, officials said.
“I was pretty sure that was my number. It was too good to be true,” he told lottery officials.
The man, a retired federal worker, intends to clear his credit card balance with the winnings “and also use some for home improvements,” according to lottery officials.
Upper Marlboro is about a 37-mile drive south from Baltimore.
This story was originally published April 25, 2025 at 12:20 PM with the headline "Lottery player inspired by his credit card ‘said a prayer’ — then won big."
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