Turtle West Sold Million Dollar Lotto Ticket, But Local Winner Slow To Contact State

Turtle West Sold Million Dollar Lotto Ticket, But Local Winner Slow To Contact State
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WEST OCEAN CITY — While the winner’s identity has not been made public, the Greene Turtle in West Ocean City last weekend sold a Maryland Lottery Monopoly Millionaire’s Club winning ticket to a local man who has not come forward to collect as of Thursday.

The new multi-state draw game’s top prize of $21 million was won by a player in New Jersey, which triggered a total of 14, $1 million prizes around the country. The Maryland Lottery last weekend announced one of the $1 million Monopoly Millionaire’s Club winning tickets had been sold at the Greene Turtle in West Ocean City, touching off some intrigue around the rather close knit community about the possible winner and the likelihood it was a local given the time of year and the location.

When Greene Turtle staffers were informed the establishment had sold a $1 million winning ticket, they checked the daily sales log and found that only five of the tickets had been sold in advance of the drawing last Friday. Three of the tickets were sold to employees and each confirmed it was neither of them. A fourth ticket was sold to another Greene Turtle denizen who also confirmed she had not won the $1 million prize.

That left just one ticket unaccounted for and it was determined through some investigation that it was likely sold to a local man and frequent player. The unidentified winner came into the Greene Turtle earlier this week and asked why he had been receiving odd text messages and phone calls from unrecognizable numbers. When informed he was possibly the winner of the $1 million prize, he reportedly left abruptly and went to double check his Millionaire’s Club ticket.

The winner had reportedly checked the larger top prize sequence of numbers and determined he did not have the winning numbers. However, the ticket includes a second series of numbers and an icon from the Monopoly game in a smaller font size for the $1 million secondary prize that the winner had not checked.

It was later confirmed the local man, who is not being identified until he notifies the state, had indeed won the $1 million prize, although as of late this week he was remaining decidedly mum about his windfall. Maryland Lottery officials on Thursday confirmed the West Ocean City winner had not yet come forward to claim his prize. The winner has 182 days to claim the prize at Maryland Lottery headquarters in Baltimore. The Greene Turtle West, which sold the winning ticket, will receive a $1,000 bonus from the Maryland Lottery.

Meanwhile, state lottery officials were pleased a Marylander had claimed one of the multi-state Monopoly Millionaire’s Club prizes.

“We’re pleased to have one of the first Monopoly Millionaire’s Club members in the nation,” said Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency Director Stephen Martino this week. “This is an exciting addition to our game lineup that we hope will attract new players and be enjoyed by our current players.”

The Monopoly Millionaire’s Club game went on sale on Oct. 19 and its unique play style features three ways to win $1 million. Players can win the top prize capped at $25 million. Once that top prize is won, a separate drawing that awards a minimum of 10 Millionaire’s Club prizes of $1 million each is conducted. Each week the top prize is not won, the number of $1 million prizes increases. The drawings are held each Friday at 11:15 p.m. and the tickets are $5 each.

Players also have a shot at a $1 million prize on the upcoming national primetime Monopoly Millionaire’s Club television show the debuts in February. The show will feature an audience of players who are randomly selected after completing Monopoly-themed property sets by entering the codes on their tickets. Selected players will be flown to Las Vegas where the show will be taped and will receive a five-day, four-night stay for two plus spending money.