BALTIMORE — Justin Fish grew up watching “The Price Is Right” with his grandmother. Now the 45-year-old from California, Md., is headed to Los Angeles to see it in person.
Fish is the first of six Maryland players to win a GAME SHOW EXPERIENCE trip in a Maryland Lottery second-chance promotion, the Lottery announced Oct. 21. His name was drawn Sept. 22, and he was invited to “come on down” to Lottery headquarters to claim the prize.
Fish has never been to the West Coast. He told Lottery officials he cannot wait to get out there, and that he hopes to spin the show’s Big Wheel and play Plinko.
What he won
The deluxe trip for two includes:
- Five days and four nights in Los Angeles, with airfare and hotel
- $1,000 in spending money
- A welcome reception and a planned group excursion
- Audience seats at a taping of “The Price Is Right”
- Admission to the GAME SHOW EXPERIENCE, where winners can share cash prizes of up to $10 million
Players qualified by entering non-winning “The Price Is Right” scratch-off tickets into the Lottery’s My Lottery Rewards program. Fish could also be picked to play “Press Your Luck” or “Family Feud” during the event, the Lottery said.
A multistate game show
Maryland is one of 13 lotteries taking part in the promotion, which is built on three game shows produced by Fremantle and run with lottery vendor Scientific Games. According to Lottery USA, the other participants include Delaware, Pennsylvania, Texas, Illinois and the District of Columbia. More than 100 second-chance winners across those states will get the Los Angeles trip and a seat at a live taping.
The trip winners will then return to the same stage in fall 2027 for a lottery-only GAME SHOW EXPERIENCE event, with a top prize of up to $10 million in cash. Under the format Lottery USA described, whatever the final-round player wins is matched, and the matched amount is split evenly among the other trip winners.
Four Maryland trips left
A second Maryland winner, Zachary Holmes of Waverly, was drawn Oct. 20. That leaves four of Maryland’s six trips. The next entry deadline is Nov. 16, and the final deadline is Feb. 8, the Lottery said.
Fish’s win continues a run of Lottery luck in St. Mary’s County. Earlier this month, a California couple’s grocery run turned into a $50,000 Powerball prize, and on Oct. 20 the Chronicle reported on a Mechanicsville lottery rookie who doubled a win to $50,000.
The Maryland Lottery reminds players to play responsibly. Anyone who needs help can call 1-800-GAMBLER.
