After jokingly asking staff to ring the bell if he won, winner hears it ring moments later
Olympia, WA (June 23, 2026) – When Scott F. walked into the Vancouver Regional Office of Washington's Lottery to check his tickets, he knew someone had won the HIT 5 cashpot the night before. What he did not know was that he was about to walk out $825,000 richer.
A regular lottery player, Scott had purchased $100 worth of HIT 5 tickets for the June 14 drawing at the Fred Meyer located at 16600 SE McGillivray Boulevard in Vancouver. When he arrived at the office the next day to have his tickets checked, he handed them to a staff member and jokingly said, "If I win the big one, ring your bell."
As they began scanning his tickets, Scott waited nearby. When the bell rang, Scott immediately assumed someone was teasing him.
"I said, 'No. Quit playing,'" he recalled.
When they showed him the validation slip confirming he had won the $825,000 HIT 5 cashpot, only then did Scott realize it wasn’t a joke.
The Navy veteran plans to celebrate with loved ones and save the rest of his winnings.
HIT 5 is a Washington state lottery game that replaced Quinto in 2007. Each play is $1. Players pick five numbers between 1 and 42. Alternatively, players may use Quick Pick by letting the computer select their numbers. With four winning ball combinations, the more numbers that match those drawn, the more a player will win. Players can find Washington’s Lottery retail locations here.
Who Benefits
Since 1982, Washington’s Lottery has generated more than $5.7 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, 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