Man tries lottery game for the first time, wins $40,044

Aug. 17 (UPI) -- A Maryland man decided to give the lottery's Racetrax a try and ended up winning $40,044 on his first attempt.

The 22-year-old Parkville man told Maryland Lottery officials he and a friend were watching the Racetrax virtual horse racing game at the Parkton Casa Mia's when he decided to ask his friend to show him how the game works.

"I picked three horses for a trifecta box randomly. I also played the bonus. I'm pretty sure I didn't know what I was doing because when I looked up and saw the odds, I figured I didn't have a very good chance of winning," the player said.

The man said he was shocked when he scanned his ticket and saw how much he had won.

"I thought I had won something like $800, but the prize flashing back on the screen was a $40,044 prize," he said.

The winner said his prize money will help him pay off his student loans and take care of other expenses while searching for a career.