Same people keep winning Maryland lottery, audit finds

BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Many players of Maryland's lottery games are chilled by the findings of a recent audit which reveals that the same people are winning Maryland's top lottery prizes over and over again.

The state legislative audit of Maryland's Lottery Agency revealed that, in a one-year period, eight players had won top lottery prizes 200 or more times.

In the state's Pick 4 game, where the odds of winning are one-in-10,000, auditors found one player had claimed the game's $5,000 top prize 79 times in one year.

"I want to know how did they cheat and do it because you have so many people who haven't won once," said Christine Moore, a regular lottery player in Catonsville.

A recent audit of Pennsylvania's lottery found that 17 players had won top lottery prizes in that state 50 or more times.

This has nothing to do with lottery products, they are completely secure," said Pennsylvania's Auditor General Tim DeFoor. "We are talking about whether or not the person claiming the winning prize is doing something they shouldn't."

In Maryland, lottery officials said they're now working to identify questionable practices.

"If they're doing it honestly I wish them good luck and hope they win 79 more times," Moore said.