BALTIMORE — A Baltimore man and his mom won the $1 million playing Powerball with the Maryland Lottery, but they don't expect to make any major lifestyle changes.
The 51-year-old took a break from work to claim the prize on Oct. 4, but now he says he's headed back to work.
“We’re just simple people. This will set us up and give us some in reserve,” he said.
Although he claimed the prize and he's the one who bought the lucky $2 ticket, his mom is the one who loves the lottery.
“Mom likes to play and I take care of her,” he said, adding, “that’s the way we were raised,” said the Baltimore man.
The son emigrated to the United States from Cuba in 1995 and his mom followed in 2001.
He's been taking care of her, and this includes keeping her stocked up with lottery tickets.
“She’s doing fine. She’s driving me crazy,” the son said.
He says his mom will play a major role in determining how to spend the money.
“I gotta wait for her. She’s the boss,” the son said about his plans for the prize.
The 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.
One of the things the son is sure of is how his mom wants to celebrate.
“She wants lobster,” he said.
The Lottery retailer also gets a share of some of the winnings. They pick 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.
