Bowie Winner Claims $1 Million Mega Millions Prize

BOWIE, MD — A retired Bowie man and regular lottery games player has claimed his $1 million Mega Millions prize, officials say.

The man, who has chosen not to be identified, purchased the million-dollar-ticket in Bowie matching the first five numbers that were drawn on Aug. 26: 10, 11, 31, 41 and 44. The person didn't get the right Mega Ball, which was 14, but that's still good enough for $1 million.

The retired hospital worker told Maryland Lottery officials that his winning numbers are decades old and came to him – by fate or by luck – in Wisconsin. After watching shooting stars one night, the Bowie man returned to the site the next day and found an abandoned Lottery playslip on the ground. That playslip carried numbers he chose, years later, to play on his Mega Millions subscription through the Maryland Lottery.

The lucky 70-year-old didn’t even know he’d won until he received a call from Lottery officials with the good news. His quiet reaction? “I knew I’d win one day,” he said. A colleague told him years ago, “ ‘You can count your lucky stars’ and I did.”

Only subscribers receive a phone call from lottery officials in the event of a big win, as do winners of second-chance drawings. The Lottery's Seth Elkin tells Patch "it is important for people to remember that if they are not subscribers, or if they did not enter one of our second-chance contests, they will not receive a call from the Maryland Lottery telling them that they've won."

Just to be safe, here are a couple of red flags that indicate a lottery scam. No legitimate lottery will ever ask anyone for their personal data over the phone (Social Security number, bank account numbers, etc.). In addition, no legitimate lottery will ever ask a winner to pay taxes/fees as a condition prior to receiving a prize, say Maryland Lottery officials.

The estimated federal and state taxes must be deducted from all Maryland Lottery prizes that are $5,001 or larger. But nobody pays money out of their pocket as a condition for receiving a prize payout, Elkin says.

If anyone is concerned that they might be the target of a lottery scam, contact lottery officials at 410-230-8800 or send an email to ask.lotteryandgaming@maryland.gov.

The county's new millionaire is a strong advocate of playing Mega Millions by subscription.

“One of the wonderful things about the subscription is its consistency,” he told Maryland Lottery officials. “You never miss a drawing with a subscription. That helps you win!”

The history buff, who is one of eight children, plans to spend his winnings secretly helping others. “The reason I want to remain anonymous is I want to help people the way I think they should be helped,” he said.

The winner is an advocate of playing Lottery games responsibly. “It’s important not to gamble but have a reasonable approach,” he said.

This is the fourth $1 million Mega Millions winner in 2016, and the second sold in Prince George's County -- a winning ticket was sold July 8 in Greenbelt.

The Mega Millions jackpot currently stands at $122 million, and the next drawing is Tuesday, Sept. 13.
Image via Maryland Lottery