Clerk jumps with excitement after scanning 81-year-old veteran’s lottery ticket

Clutching his lottery ticket, Lloyd Harless walked up to a Maryland gas station counter to check if it was a winner.

The 81-year-old U.S. Air Force veteran handed his $5 Gold Bar Bingo scratch-off ticket to the Harford County clerk, Maryland Lottery officials said in a Sept. 12 news release.

The clerk promptly scanned the ticket, then they “started to jump around with excitement,” the man told lottery officials.

Harless, though, was bewildered and “had no idea what was going on,” he told lottery officials.

“It took a while for me to find out that I won,” Harless said, per the release.

Harless’ ticket won him the game’s top prize of $50,000, lottery officials said.

While he’s undecided about how to spend his winnings, he told lottery officials “there are parts of the world that he wants to explore.”

During his military service, he traveled to a number of different countries, lottery officials said.

“My bucket list has gotten so big that I had to dump it out and start all over again,” Harless said, per the release.

Harford County is about a 35-mile drive northeast from downtown Baltimore.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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