A retired government worker from Waldorf has claimed the third and final $50,000 Early Bird prize in the Maryland Lottery Holiday Raffle after recognizing the winning ticket number during a visit to his regular retailer in Charles County.
The winner, who chose the alias “Foods In Winner” because he purchased the ticket at that store, was shopping at Foods In, located at 12549 Mattawoman Drive in Waldorf, shortly after the Dec. 22 Early Bird drawing. News had circulated among customers that a $50,000 winning ticket had been sold there. One customer displayed the winning number 166251 on his phone.
Credit: Maryland Lottery
“I looked at the number on his phone and it looked very familiar to me,” the Waldorf resident said. He called his wife to have her retrieve the raffle ticket from home. Upon returning, he scanned it using the ticket checker feature in the Maryland Lottery mobile app and confirmed the $50,000 win.
The ticket, number 166251, was purchased on Dec. 17 at the same Foods In location. It was randomly selected from 185,651 raffle tickets sold in time for the Dec. 22 drawing. The prize was claimed on Dec. 26, the day after Christmas.
The winner is a regular Maryland Lottery player who often chooses numbers close to 612. Although Holiday Raffle tickets are sequentially numbered from 000001 up to the maximum available and offer no player-selected numbers, he noted the winning ticket felt fortunate because it was close to his preferred base number.
“I was happy because it was close to my base number 612,” he said. He has not yet decided how to use the prize money but expressed anticipation for the final Holiday Raffle drawing scheduled for Jan. 2, 2026.
The Holiday Raffle launched on Nov. 3, 2025, with a limit of 325,000 tickets at $20 each. Sales continue through Jan. 1, 2026, or until all tickets are sold, whichever occurs first. Tickets are available at any Maryland Lottery retailer, including convenience stores, gas stations, and self-service vending machines.
Three Early Bird drawings each awarded one $50,000 prize: the first on Nov. 24 (ticket 037656, sold in Rockville), the second on Dec. 8 (ticket 029641, sold in Baltimore City), and the third on Dec. 22 (ticket 166251, sold in Waldorf). Winners of Early Bird prizes remain eligible for the final drawing but cannot win additional Early Bird prizes.
The Jan. 2 final drawing includes every sold ticket in the pool, with 10,011 prizes total: one top prize of $1 million, 10 prizes of $100,000, 1,000 prizes of $500, 3,000 prizes of $100, and 6,000 prizes of $50. Overall odds of winning any prize are 1:32.46. Winning numbers are drawn randomly from the range of tickets sold.
Players must be at least 18 years old to participate. The Maryland Lottery encourages responsible play and provides resources for those needing assistance.
Prizes over $25,000, like this $50,000 win, require redemption at the Maryland Lottery Customer Resource Center in Baltimore by appointment. Smaller prizes up to $600 can be claimed at any retailer, while amounts up to $5,000 are available at Expanded Cashing Authority Program locations and up to $25,000 at casino claim centers.
The Holiday Raffle format differs from traditional draw games by using pre-assigned sequential numbers, ensuring every ticket has an equal chance based on sales timing. Earlier purchases enter all remaining Early Bird drawings, increasing opportunities before the final event.
With the final drawing approaching, Lottery officials remind players to retain physical tickets for claims and check them promptly using the mobile app or website.
