A Baltimore man and his mom won $1 million playing Powerball with the Maryland lottery.
The winning duo celebrated with lobster dinner, but the son doesn't anticipate any major lifestyle changes.
The lucky pair hit on the Sept. 14 Powerball drawing with a quick-pick ticket, matching the five white balls, but not the Powerball for a second-tier $1 million prize. Since then, he has continued to buy tickets for his mom, and he says that won’t be changing anytime soon.
“Mom likes to play, and I take care of her,” he said, adding, “that’s the way we were raised.”
After taking a break Monday to claim the prize, bought with a $2 ticker, the 51-year-old said he was headed back to work.
“We’re just simple people. This will set us up and give us some in reserve,” he said in a news release.
The son emigrated to the United States from Cuba in 1995, and his mom followed in 2001. He has been taking care of her, including keeping her stocked in lottery tickets.
“She’s doing fine. She’s driving me crazy,” the son said, smiling. His mom did not visit Lottery headquarters to help claim the prize, but she will play a major role in determining how to spend the money.
“I gotta wait for her. She’s the boss,” her son said about his plans for the prize.
Sharing in their good fortune is Downtown Amoco gas station at 1100 South Hanover Street in Baltimore. The Lottery retailer picks up a bonus of $2,500 from the Lottery for selling a second-tier Powerball winning ticket.
This is the fifth second-tier winning Powerball ticket sold this year. Two players won $2 million, and two others won $1 million.
The next Powerball drawing is Wednesday, Oct. 5. The estimated annuity jackpot is $353 million; the estimated cash option is $185.6 million.