Winner pleasantly surprised after letting QuickPick decide his numbers

Olympia, Wash. (November 14, 2022) – It was another typical day for the decade-long Arlington resident. He played his usual lottery game of choice, Powerball, and added on the Power Play multiplier feature, hoping to win more than the smaller amounts he had won over the years.

Rather than using his usual pre-determined set of numbers, he decided to use QuickPick for a change. Two days later, he scanned his ticket at a Washington’s Lottery kiosk when he went to buy more tickets. He couldn’t believe his eyes when the words “prize too large” appeared on the screen. Still in disbelief, he checked the Washington’s Lottery app on his phone and the screen displayed the same words. Still unconvinced, he checked a third time, searching online for the winning numbers. It wasn’t too good to be true – the Power Play feature he added on to his ticket multiplied his prize 3x, and a $150,000 Powerball prize win was his.

On his way home from his telecommunications job, he called his wife and together they rushed to the Lottery office. They arrived 30 minutes before closing, just in time to claim the prize. Still in shock, the couple celebrated over dinner. Other than paying a few bills, the winner plans to save his winnings for the future.

Powerball is a national lottery game. Each play is $2. Players pick five numbers between one and 69 and one Powerball number between one and 26. Alternatively, players may use Quick Pick by letting the computer select their numbers. With nine winning ball combinations, the more numbers that match those drawn, the more a player will win.Tickets for Powerball drawings are available until 6:45 p.m. PT on the day of the draw. Sales for the next drawing resume the same day at 6:46 p.m.

Powerball also offers several add-on features, including Double Play for $1, a second-chance drawing at 8:30 p.m. with the chance to win up to $10 million, and Power Play for $1, which offers players the opportunity to multiply their non-jackpot winnings based on the Power Play multiplier randomly chosen at draw time.

Making a Difference in Washington State
Since 1982, Washington’s Lottery has generated more than $4.5 billion to support several important state programs, including providing much-needed funds for the Washington Opportunity Pathways Account (WOPA). In FY21, WOPA received $185.7 million from the Lottery, enough to pay college tuition for more than 18,000 Washington residents. It also provided approximately 25% of the annual budget for the state’s Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program, which provides critical services to more than 15,000 children at 440 locations across Washington.

Washington’s Lottery Beneficiary Fact – April 2022
Washington’s Lottery is very proud to be a financial supporter of the state’s Early Childhood Education & Assistance Program (ECEAP). The $40 million annual investment the lottery makes in ECEAP has lasting effects. Children who participate in ECEAP are more likely to be kindergarten-ready than non-participants, and those who participate five or more hours per day are especially prepared in reading and math.* Children in state-funded pre-K programs like ECEAP see long-lasting positive effects, including increased grade progression, high school graduation and college enrollment.**

About Washington’s Lottery: The state’s Lottery offers consumers several types of games, including Mega Millions, Powerball, Lotto, Hit 5, Match 4, Pick 3, Daily Keno and Scratch. For more information, visit www.walottery.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @walottery.

Keep it fun. Know your limit. Washington’s Lottery is an advocate for responsible gaming and collaborates with the Evergreen Council for Problem Gambling to provide resources for those in need. More information is available at www.walottery.com/Responsibility.

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Press Contacts
Dan Miller (Curator on behalf of Washington’s Lottery)
E-mail: dan.miller@curatorpr.com

Xiamara Garza (Curator on behalf of Washington’s Lottery)
E-mail: xiamara.garza@curatorpr.com

* Early Learning Feedback Report. https://erdc.wa.gov/data-dashboards/early-learning-feedback-report-0

** Boston Public Schools Department of Early Childhood. (n.d.). Boston universal pre-K. Retrieved June 9, 2021, from https://www.bpsearlylearning.org/boston-upk