Retired Navy Chief usually plays Scratch games in the $5-$10 range, but purchased the $20 ticket because it “looked pretty interesting”
Olympia, Wash. (May 31, 2023) – They say the third time’s the charm, but in Norrick’s case, his first time worked out pretty well. When the 54-year-old retired Navy Chief from Stanwood walked into the 4th Street Market in Marysville, he assumed he would purchase his usual Scratch games of choice, tickets within the $5 to $10 range…that is, until another game’s design caught his eye and ended up winning him $1.5 million
Normally, when he looked at Scratch tickets in the display case, he could only see a portion of each ticket because they are stacked slightly offset. However, this time, one game was sold out, which allowed Norrick to see the entire ticket of a $20 Scratch game he had never played before, Decades of Dollars. The design piqued his interest, so Norrick bought a ticket and got to work scratching.
When his ticket revealed he had won $1.5 million, the game’s top prize, Norrick stared down at it in disbelief. How could he have won such a large prize on his first time playing this Scratch game? Unsure if his eyes had made a mistake, Norrick asked his friend to look at the ticket. After reading the fine print together they knew his vision was just fine, which caused Norrick to break out in a full body sweat.
After snapping a picture of the winning ticket and a bunch of high fives later, Norrick went to find his wife and tell her the news. Her initial reaction was similar to his – disbelief and teary eyes. The couple celebrated later that day with their son who treated them to lunch.
Other than paying off a new truck they had just purchased and the other car they own, the couple plans to use their new-found fortune to take a family vacation after their son graduates. They also plan to do some major improvements to their home over the next four years. Norrick will invest the rest of the money and continue to enjoy his retirement.
Washington’s Lottery offers Scratch games priced between $1 and $30, each with varying prize amounts. The number of actual prizes available in a game may vary based on the number of tickets printed, tested, distributed, sold, and number of prizes claimed.
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