Prince George’s County School Bus Driver Wins $50,000 on 50X the Cash

A Prince George’s County Public Schools bus driver based in the county transportation system turned a routine morning route and lunch stop into a $50,000 payday after buying a $10 50X the Cash scratch-off at Lucky Lottery, 6029 Marlboro Pike in District Heights and claiming the prize at Maryland Lottery headquarters in Baltimore on Feb. 12.

The driver had just dropped off his last group of students and stopped for lunch before spotting the lottery retailer as he was leaving the restaurant. He said he bought the new 50X the Cash ticket, scratched it in his car and then discovered the $50,000 win. “I buy scratch-off tickets just about every week. So, when I saw it, I decided to get one while I was there,” he told lottery officials when he claimed the prize.

He told officials he had won smaller amounts before, including a $600 prize on a new ticket, which influenced his choice to try the new game. “I won $600 once playing a new ticket, so whenever I see one, I get it,” he said, describing his playing habit that led him back to the retailer that day.

The reaction at the discovery was visceral. At the lottery office he described the moment as overwhelming: “I experienced the biggest shock of my life,” and added, “I use the word shock because it was almost as if I’d gotten hit by lightning. It was the last thing I was expecting. Just unbelievable.” He also offered a lighter note about the afternoon, telling officials that while “the sandwich was tasty, the $50,000 dessert served him by a 50X the Cash scratch-off was the star of the meal.”

Game details put the win in context for local players: 50X the Cash debuted Jan. 9 as a $10 scratch-off game; the $50,000 prize is a second-tier payout. The driver is the second person to claim a $50,000 second-tier prize in that game, and there are still eight $50,000 prizes and six $100,000 top prizes remaining, lottery inventory shows.

The driver, a Suitland resident, did not disclose specific plans for the money when he claimed the prize at the Baltimore headquarters. His employer is Prince George’s County Public Schools, and the county’s school transportation system is listed as his workplace base in reporting on the claim.

The winning ticket’s retail location at 6029 Marlboro Pike places the story squarely in District Heights, underscoring how an ordinary lunch break in Prince George’s County produced an uncommon outcome for a county school transportation employee.