Haley Pratt’s trip to the grocery store paid off
lympia, WA (January 21, 2026) – A casual grocery run turned into a memorable way to kick off 2026 for one woman from Wenatchee, after her Scratch ticket purchase from Washington’s Lottery delivered a $30,000 prize.
Haley Pratt plays the Lottery weekly, usually buying crossword-style games in the $3 to $5 range. Typically, she gets her tickets from the same gas station while she fills up her car. On this day, however, she had just finished grocery shopping at Safeway and realized she had $3 in change. Thinking, “why not?” she picked up a King Crossword Scratch ticket and headed home.
Later that evening, Haley was watching TV on the couch next to her boyfriend and began scratching her ticket. As she uncovered several words, she started to realize something was different.
“At first, I thought I won $1,000,” Haley said. “I kept looking at it and thinking this doesn’t seem right. Surely I scratched it wrong, because that’s a lot of money.”
Still unsure, Haley double-checked her ticket by scanning it on the Washington’s Lottery app. That’s when the actual amount popped up: she had won the game’s top prize of $30,000.
She immediately showed her boyfriend, who checked the ticket himself through the app and confirmed it was real. “I was hyperventilating,” Haley said. “I almost passed out. Our hearts were racing. We couldn’t believe it.”
Haley says the prize will help her pay down debt, get ahead on bills, and save for a future down payment on a home. She’s also looking forward to doing something fun with her two young kids once the weather warms up.
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. Players can find Washington’s Lottery retail locations here. Players can find Washington’s Lottery retail locations here.
Who Benefits
Since 1982, Washington’s Lottery has generated more than $5.3 billion to support several important state programs. The Lottery’s primary beneficiary is the Washington Opportunity Pathways Account (WOPA), which provides much-needed funding for programs including early childhood education, the WA Grant and College Bound program, Washington Award for Vocational Excellence, GET Ready for Math and Science scholarships, and more. These programs help provide critical services and support to thousands of Washington residents each year and help improve their lives.
Beneficiary Fact
Washington’s Lottery is proud to be a financial supporter of the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC), which administers state financial aid programs. WSAC leads a variety of initiatives to increase educational opportunities for students, families, and educators across the state, with a particular focus on increasing equity by reaching communities of color and students from low-income families. The Lottery also proudly supports the state’s Early Childhood Education & Assistance Program (ECEAP), a state-funded pre-K program that helps children become kindergarten-ready by building early skills in reading, math and science. The program works closely with parents to support their children’s health and education.
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, Cash POP, 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-Urbieta (Curator on behalf of Washington’s Lottery)
E-mail: xiamara.garza@curatorpr.com