Dad of six has ‘been trying to hit the big one’ in Maryland Lottery. He finally did

A father of six and his friend “cried tears of joy” after learning of a huge lottery win, Maryland officials said.

Kenneth Jones bought the 50X The Cash instant ticket at a liquor store in Ellicott City and scratched it while his friend drove, according to a May 21 news release by the Maryland Lottery.

Jones had no idea the $10 scratch-off was carrying a $100,000 prize, officials said.

“I’ve been trying to hit the big one,” the Prince George’s County man who’s never won more than $500 told lottery officials. “When you see the prize, you can’t believe it.”

The night shift retail manager bought the tickets for the drive and uncovered the 10x symbol before seeing the $10,000 prize that would be multiplied for his total winnings, officials said.

That’s when he yelled “Yo!” and passed the ticket to his friend so he could confirm the prize, lottery officials said.

The man immediately called his wife and now plans to save the majority of the money, officials said.

The retailer will receive a $1,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket, officials said.

This win means there are three $100,000 prizes waiting to be claimed for the 50X The Cash game, according to the release.

Ellicott City is about a 15-mile drive southwest of Baltimore.

This story was originally published May 21, 2024 at 2:31 PM with the headline "Dad of six has ‘been trying to hit the big one’ in Maryland Lottery. He finally did."