A question of “Why not?” led to this man’s big win
Olympia, Wash. (October 30, 2023) – While stopping at his local Safeway to grab groceries, the high Powerball jackpot at the time caught a longtime Seattle resident’s eye. Although he doesn’t play the lottery too often, he thought to himself, “Why not?” before he purchased a ticket.
It wasn’t until after he had finished his round of golf the next day that he remembered he hadn’t checked his ticket yet. He used the Lottery Vending Machine at a nearby Safeway to scan it, and when the words “See Lottery Office” appeared on the screen, he knew he had won big. Curious about how much he had actually won, he checked the winning numbers online and saw he had won $50,000.
In a state of shock, the Seattle resident went home and told his wife who had taken a break from staining the couple’s floor to hear the exciting news. They celebrated the big win by finishing the floor together. The couple are excited to use their winnings to top off their son’s college fund and renovate their home.
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.
Making a Difference in Washington State
Since 1982, Washington’s Lottery has generated more than $5.0 billion to support several important state programs, including providing much-needed funds for the Washington Opportunity Pathways Account (WOPA). In FY22, WOPA received $176.6 million from the Lottery, enough to pay college tuition for more than 9,900 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