BALTIMORE — A Charles County man who was having a hard few weeks got a $500,000 lift from a scratch-off ticket he did not even buy.
The man, who runs a general contracting business with a friend, won a top prize on the Maryland Lottery’s $20 Gifts of Green instant ticket. His business partner gave him the ticket, the Lottery said Tuesday. He claimed the prize Oct. 16 at Lottery headquarters in Baltimore. As is common in Lottery announcements, the winner was not named.
A gift, passed along
According to the Lottery, the partner’s wife had bought the scratch-offs, and the partner passed one along to cheer up his friend. The winner held onto the ticket for a while before scratching it. Even then, he was not sure he had won until a retailer confirmed the prize.
“You should have seen me a few weeks ago,” the winner told Lottery officials. He said he was so down at the time that he subconsciously refused to accept that something good had happened. He told the Lottery he felt relief and gratitude for the people in his life and for his partner’s gift.
About the ticket
The winning ticket was sold at Kettering BP, 10604 Campus Way in Upper Marlboro. The Lottery’s announcement placed the station in Anne Arundel County, but the Kettering area of Upper Marlboro is in Prince George’s County. The retailer earns a $1,000 bonus for selling a top-prize ticket.
Gifts of Green debuted in October 2025 with seven $500,000 top prizes. With this claim, one top prize remains unclaimed, along with one $25,000 second-tier prize, according to the Lottery.
A run of local winners
The Charles County win is the latest in a string of Southern Maryland prizes this month. On Tuesday, the Chronicle reported on a Mechanicsville lottery rookie who doubled a win to $50,000. Earlier in October, a Waldorf man hit a $50,000 Pick 5 prize after 40 years of playing.
The Maryland Lottery’s proceeds support the state’s general fund and other programs. Players who feel their gambling is becoming a problem can reach the Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling’s helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER.
