A man has scooped more than USD 50,000 for the second time this year after getting back in the saddle to bet on a winner in a virtual horse racing lottery game.

A 41-year-old Racetrax game player won USD 60,564 (GBP 52,681) earlier this year.

Now he has struck it lucky again after a second win worth USD 50,988 (GBP 44,352) at the Maryland Lottery Headquarters in Baltimore.

The winner- who has not been named – says he wants to keep his new winnings under wraps and plans to put them towards a down payment on a house.

He used the money from his first prize to pay off debts and help family and friends.

The Racetrax Maryland Lottery game is an online racing game with state-of-the-art, 3D animation that includes 12 realistic-looking horses and a virtual race track, according to the organisation’s website.

The winner told lottery officials: “It’s the fun of watching the horses run.”

He had bought the jackpot-winning ticket at a small petrol station and played the numbers 7-9-11-3 in a “Superfecta configuration”, according to reports.

The winning numbers in the virtual racing game are randomly generated while the petrol station that sold the ticket will get a USD 509 (GBP 443) bonus.