A Silver Spring, Maryland, man won a state lottery game twice at the same convenience store — a rare occurrence, lottery officials said.
Jorge Matamoras, a 39-year-old who works in construction, won $5,000 in March on a scratch-off game called "20X The Cash." Then a few weeks later, he won again only more.
The second time, he won $50,000 in the same game.
Both times, officials said, he bought his winning tickets at the 29 Convenience Mart in Silver Spring.
Matamoras described winning twice as being in a dream.
"I certainly didn't think there would be any more big winners at this store so it totally took me by surprise," he said to lottery officials when he collected his prize money and posed in a picture with an oversized check.
Matamoras said he plans to use his winnings to pay down some bills and possibly start his own real estate business to refurbish and sell houses.
Of winning twice from the same store, Maryland lottery spokeswoman Carole Gentry said, "It's not out of the realm but it doesn't happen that often."
Gentry said lottery players are often superstitious and "creatures of habit" so they'll buy lottery tickets at the same store. Another thing that drives people to return to the same store for their lottery ticket purchases is when stores promote that they've sold a winning ticket. That often spurs buyers to come back, hoping they too can win.
But lottery officials said the drawings and winnings are "totally random" and there is no guarantee that just because a store sold a winning ticket once or even twice that it will happen repeatedly, according to Gentry.
It is really just "lottery luck," as officials call it.
(Click to display full-size in gallery)
He is on great plane of wealth, good vibes from his #picks & where he plays. Jorge must be in synch with life itself. Everything fits into the proper groove HIGH 5!!!!!.
Congratulations Jorge!! Never won anything living in Silver Spring, but come to think about it didn't play lottery until I was no longer stationed @ Walter Reed Army Medical Center down the road and started @ Ft. G.G. Meade, MD.
Congratulations !!! Jorge Matamoras. Stay lucky.
.
Come on now.
If that's not the scratch-off, poster boy photo,
then I don't know what is.
But hey, if it's real, it's real.
Good for you. I hope you do it again.
That's s lot of loot for paying off some bills.
You look like you deserve it, working your jack hammer all day long:
"RATTAT TATTAT TATTAT TATT!"
Or maybe he's a roofer. With them hot shingles, sun beating down on him.
"Hoosh!Send up another cooler of water!".
Good win, good winner, and good intentions with his new money.
kind of surprised he exposed himself to the rest of the world when Maryland offers winners the option of anonymity. Too many wackos out there even if the prize was just $50k.
Exactly........he must be a publicity hound.
Perhaps, fiinally basking in his own narcissistic 15 minutes of Glory???
Wow that's amazing. Congratulations to him!
So does he keep playing that scratch off?? Or try another one?
Can he get a third hit?
Will have to go to their website to see if it says what is left for big winners I suppose.
They, like most states have a list of top prizes remaining. 'His' lottery has three top prizes remaining.
I have a store next to work. Same $30 game sold a $3Mil and $50K. He also sold a $25K on a $10 ticket. Not the same guy, but the store has generated some big wins.
Yea, but that is US here in Lottery Post 'knowing' we have to look at what is left. Most scratch off players have no idea what that means or why you would do it, they play on pure luck.
So I think he will keep playing it.
The next question is - If you lived near that store, would YOU play that scratch off?
I might (after verifying there were jackpot tickets left) as I remember there was that math lady who hit in Texas by buying TONS of tickets to a game from the same store which 'forced' the jackpot winner to be shipped to that store.
Heaven knows I've bought my fair share of lottery tickets where a big banner says such and such winner sold here. Hasn't made one iota of a difference so far...