Construction worker accidentally buys wrong Maryland lottery ticket — and it pays off

A man who plays the lottery every weekend finally won after buying the wrong ticket, Maryland officials said.

The Silver Springs man who works in construction typically has "intense focus and attention to detail," but making a mistake by buying the wrong scratch-off ticket led to the $50,000 prize, according to a June 2 news release by the Maryland Lottery.

The lucky man was on his lunch break in mid-May when he stopped by Metro Coffee Convenience in Rockville to buy his weekly ticket, lotto officials said.

"It was a Friday, I get a ticket every weekend," the man told officials. "When I figured out which scratch game to play, I pressed that ticket on the screen, but it was the wrong one. I pressed the one next to it, the wrong ticket."

The man went to scratch off the $20 instant $50,000 Cash ticket and saw he’d won, according to the release.

"When I saw the prize, I couldn't believe it. ‘This can't be true,’ I thought," the winner told lotto officials.

The man has plans to purchase property with his wife next year and said the prize money will be a great "addition to the cash they’ve been saving."

Rockville is about 40 miles southwest of Baltimore.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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