Maryland Mother and Son Win $50,000 from Forgotten Christmas Lottery Ticket

Christmas may have come and gone, but for one mother and son in Nottingham, Maryland, the holiday spirit arrived a little late in the form of a $50,000 Maryland Lottery win. The lucky scratch-off ticket, originally intended as a stocking stuffer, had been forgotten—until a recent furniture-moving session led to an unexpected windfall.

A Lucky Discovery

While helping his mother rearrange furniture, the son stumbled upon a small stack of scratch-off tickets that his mom had purchased as Christmas gifts for her adult children. Curious, he asked if he could scratch them off, and the two agreed that if any were winners, they would split the prize.

As he worked through the tickets, he found two that weren’t winners, one worth $6, another worth $15, and then the final ticket—a $5 Holiday Luck Doubler—which revealed an astonishing $50,000 top prize.

A Family Affair

At first, disbelief set in. The son, who had scratched the tickets at home with his wife, was so shocked that he called his mom to ask if she had slipped in a prank ticket. But after a visit to Maryland Lottery headquarters, reality set in: they were indeed big winners.

True to their agreement, the pair decided to claim the prize under the pseudonym “We’ll Split It.” With his half of the winnings, the son plans to start saving for a house and pay off debts—some of which are owed to his mother, effectively giving her even more of the prize. Meanwhile, the mom intends to share her portion with her other children, a grandchild, and a grandchild on the way.

Check Your Holiday Luck Tickets

The winning ticket was purchased at Walther Liquors, located at 8625 Walther Blvd. in Nottingham. As a bonus for selling a top-prize-winning ticket, the Baltimore County retailer will receive a $500 reward from the Maryland Lottery.

With the Holiday Luck Doubler game’s final claim date set for November 3, now is the perfect time for Maryland residents to check their old tickets—there just might be a hidden fortune waiting to be discovered.

Get our free mobile app