A resident of Washington, USA, is filing a lawsuit against two lottery companies that refused to pay out a $340 million prize, saying there was an error in the numbers posted on the drawing results website. According to NBC Washington, John Cheeks purchased a Powerball ticket in January 2023 and based his bet on a combination of family members' birthdays and other numbers important to him. The unusual thing happened when he came across the relevant numbers on the results website two days after placing the bet.
“I was a little excited, but I didn't scream, I didn't yell,” Cheeks told NBC Washington. “I just called a friend. I took a photo as he recommended and that was it. I went to sleep.”
However, the numbers posted on the DC Lottery website did not match that day's Powerball drawing. In his lawsuit, Cheeks says he attempted to go to two lottery locations to claim his winnings and received a negative response from both.
“‘Hey, this lottery ticket is useless. Just throw it in the trash,” an employee told Cheeks. “And I gave him a stern look. I said, “In the trash can?” “Oh yeah, throw it away.” They don't get paid. There's a trash can there.'”
Cheeks ignored the employee's advice and decided to keep the note in a safe and consult a lawyer. Now he's filing a lawsuit against the DC Lottery and Powerball, claiming the allegedly incorrect numbers remained on the results page website for three days. As NBC Washington reports, the lawsuit argues that the man was only made aware of the error when a lottery operator accidentally released the wrong numbers.
“Even if a mistake has been made, the crucial question is: What should be done about it?” asked lawyer Richard Evans. When contacted by NBC Washington, the companies chose not to comment on the ongoing litigation.
With information from Estadao