John Cheeks' lottery ticket matched the numbers posted online in January 2023. But when he tried to redeem his prize, he was repeatedly denied. Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images hide caption
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Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
John Cheeks' lottery ticket matched the numbers posted online in January 2023. But when he tried to redeem his prize, he was repeatedly denied.
Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
When John Cheeks saw that the winning lottery numbers on the DC Lottery website matched his ticket in January 2023, he initially didn't know what to think. The prize amount was for a whopping $340 million.
"I didn't shout or scream," Cheeks told NPR. "I just called my longtime friend." That friend advised him to take a picture of the numbers on the screen, which matched a combination of Cheeks' family birth dates and other digits.
However, the ticket was repeatedly denied when Cheeks tried to redeem the prize. He was eventually told by the D.C. Office of Lottery and Gaming that the numbers posted online were a mistake.
As a result, Cheeks is suing several groups that run Powerball in Washington, D.C. According to court documents, Cheeks has requested $340 million in compensation, along with damages and interest.
Taoti Enterprises, a lottery contractor and a defendant in the suit, said it had "accidentally" posted the wrong numbers as part of a quality assurance test. The mistake was not removed from the website until three days after the posting, according to court documents.
The group said that the numbers Cheeks saw online did not match the numbers drawn in the televised lottery drawing on Jan. 7, adding that the numbers online "could not have been the numbers drawn because the incorrect numbers were posted [online] the day before the drawing."
Taoti also pointed to a disclaimer on the lottery website that says the site is not "the final authority" for the drawing.
Cheek's attorney, Richard W. Evans, said in an email to NPR that the lawsuit raises critical questions "about the integrity and accountability of lottery operations and the safeguards — or lack thereof — against the type of errors that Powerball and the DC Lottery admit occurred in this case."
He said the lawsuit is not merely about numbers on a website but also about "the reliability of institutions that promise life-changing opportunities, while heavily profiting in the process."
Evans argued that there is precedent for this case. A similar incident happened in Iowa in November when lottery contractors posted the wrong numbers, citing a "human reporting error." In that instance, ticket holders with the wrong numbers were able to cash in on prizes ranging from $4 to $200 before lottery officials posted the correct ones.
Powerball has weekly drawings on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. The overall odds of winning a grand prize is 1 in 292 million, according to the Powerball website.
"You know, we have to create fairness in the game. A win is a win," said Cheeks. "I'm just a customer who purchased those tickets. That's all."
Representatives for Powerball, the Multi-State Lottery Association and Taoti Enterprises — all defendants in the lawsuit — either did not respond for comment or declined to comment.
The preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for Friday.
FAQs
Say you're scrolling through your social media feed and you see a post saying, “I'm the winner of $600 million from the Powerball lottery. I'm giving away $50,000 to the first one thousand people to message me.” Would you answer? If you do, you could become the target of a scam.
How much did the IRS take from the Powerball winner? ›
In truth, most lottery winners opt for the cash lump sum upfront, even though it ultimately means fewer dollars in their pocket — but still a whole lot. What do federal taxes look like on a lump sum payment? The federal tax rate on any prize over $5,000 is 24%, which gets immediately deducted from your winnings.
What was the Powerball problem? ›
Leaving Powerball players hanging with their tickets close by, game officials announced the delay around 11:15 p.m. ET and said the wait was due to pre-draw procedures that weren't complete.
What state caused the glitch in the Powerball drawing? ›
Lottery officials revealed on Thursday that a technical issue with the verification process in Minnesota caused the delay in this week's record-breaking $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot drawing.
Is Mavis Wanczyk real? ›
Many of you may not remember the name of Mavis Wanczyk, but she was the lucky winner of a 758 million dollar Powerball drawing in 2017. Not long after she claimed her prize, a scam started appearing in which many people received emails with the message line referring to the Mavis Wanczyk Cash Grant.
Did Becky Bell give away money? ›
Let ABC15 Know viewers warn, Becky Bell lottery winner scam is circulating again. The suspicious message claims to be from a woman named Becky Bell, a Powerball lottery winner from 2023, claiming she decided to give away her winnings to random people selected.
Do lottery winnings affect Social Security? ›
Do lottery winnings count as earned income for Social Security purposes? Lottery winnings are not considered earned income, no matter how much work it was purchasing your tickets. Therefore, they do not affect your Social Security benefits.
How much is 1 billion lottery after taxes? ›
The lump sum cash prize will drop to $350.4 million after a mandatory federal tax withholding of 24% is applied. Depending on their taxable income, the winner could then face a federal marginal rate as high as 37%, further slashing their winnings to $290.4 million.
Is it better to take the lump sum or annuity lottery? ›
If you want your winnings right away, you'll want to select the cash option, but if you want more money in the end, you may prefer the annuity option.
Who controls the Powerball lottery? ›
Powerball is an American lottery game offered by 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and overseen by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), which also manages other large jackpot games such as the Mega Millions.
The statement issued on Powerball's website blamed "one participating lottery" that needed more time to complete the pre-draw procedures. The statement said the procedures were enacted to "protect the integrity and security of the Powerball game." Players advised to hold on to tickets.
Why did Powerball reset? ›
The Powerball jackpot was reset after one lucky winner guessed all five numbers and the Powerball for a prize of $44 million or cash value of $21.9 million this Monday, Aug. 19. The Wednesday, Aug. 21, Powerball jackpot is worth an estimated $20 million, or a cash value of $10 million. Watch the drawing at 10:59 p.m.
What state has the most winning Powerball tickets? ›
Pennsylvania has sold the most Powerball jackpot-winning tickets, followed by Florida. California, New York, and Indiana are among states that have all sold over 10 Powerball jackpot-winning tickets.
What state do most Powerball winners come from? ›
We compiled a list of states with the MOST Powerball jackpot winners in the history of the game. The luckiest of the lucky? Indiana has the most Powerball jackpot winners. The Hoosier State boasts 39 Powerball jackpot wins since 1992, when Powerball got its start.
What happens if you get all 5 numbers but not the Powerball? ›
Matching 5 numbers without the Powerball will get you a cool $1 million while simply matching the Powerball number earns you $4. The good news is that your chances of winning any prize is 1 in 24.9.
Is Cheng Saephan giving away lottery winnings? ›
The lottery said a text message went out over the weekend that falsely promised Cheng “Charlie” Saephan was donating prize money to 10 citizens chosen at random. It asked those receiving the message to call a phone number to claim the winnings. Similar messages showed up on social media.
Who won the $1.9 billion Powerball? ›
Cheng “Charlie” Saephan, of Portland, told a news conference held by the Oregon Lottery that he and his wife, Duanpen, would split the prize evenly with a friend who chipped in $US100 ($152) to buy a batch of tickets with them, Laiza Chao.
Who won the 754.6 million lottery? ›
SEATTLE — The winner of the $754.6 million Powerball jackpot was revealed by Washington's Lottery on Friday afternoon. Becky Bell, an Auburn resident who has worked for Boeing for 36 years, claimed the Powerball jackpot on Tuesday, February 28.
Who won the Powerball for Charlie Saephan? ›
Saephan, who has been battling cancer for the past eight years, won $1.3 billion. He will share the prize with his wife, Duanpen Saephan, and their friend, Laiza Chao. The three winners opted for a lump sum payment (instead of an annuity). That brings them, collectively, over $422 million after taxes.
