Maryland man nearly threw out scratch-off lottery ticket worth $100,000

June 7 (UPI) -- A Maryland man said the scratch-off lottery ticket that earned him a $100,000 jackpot nearly ended up in the trash when he confused it for a non-winner.

The 73-year-old Dundalk man told Maryland Lottery officials the Bingo X10 ticket he bought from the High's store Broening Road in Dundalk was one of several tickets he sat down to play.

The man said one of his tickets was a $10 winner and the rest, including the $100,000 winner, appeared to be duds.

The player said he nearly threw the tickets away, but decided to double-check them using a scanner at a local store.

The winning ticket caused the machine to read, "Go to Lottery," so the confused man asked the store's clerk for help.

The man said he was so shocked to learn the ticket was a big winner that the clerk had to remind him to remain calm and breathe.

The winner said he plans to use his winnings to pay off some bills.

This article originally appeared on UPI.com