A man in Washington, D.C., has filed a lawsuit against the organizers of the Powerball lottery after discovering that the wrong winning numbers were mistakenly posted on the lottery’s website.
John Cheeks, the plaintiff, had selected the numbers 7, 15, 23, 32, and 40 with a Powerball number of 2. On January 7, 2023, the D.C. Lottery’s website displayed the “winning numbers” as 7, 15, 23, 32, and 40 with a yellow Powerball number of 2 – the same as Cheeks’ ticket.
Believing he had won the estimated $340 million jackpot, Cheeks attempted to redeem his ticket, only to be informed that his claim was denied.
A lawsuit was subsequently filed in the Superior Court of Washington, D.C. Cheeks had filed a complaint with the district’s Office of Lottery and Gaming, but his claim was denied again during a hearing.
Lawsuit Against Powerball Organizers (Credits: The Guardian)
Taoti, the company operating the D.C. Lottery website, admitted to accidentally posting Cheeks’ winning numbers, and they were only removed three days later on January 9. Cheeks’ lawyers argue that, based on the matching numbers, he is entitled to the entire jackpot.
They claim that the defendants, including D.C. officials, OLG, Taoti, the Multi-State Lottery Association, and Powerball, were negligent in posting the mistaken numbers, failing to correct them promptly, not issuing a public correction, attempting to cover up the error, and denying payments.
The lawsuit also contends that the defendants continued to promote the jackpot even after Cheeks’ numbers were posted to increase ticket sales and revenue.
The defendants have filed a motion to dismiss the case, and Cheeks is seeking $340 million in compensatory damages, along with additional damages, costs, and attorney fees.
He has requested a jury trial, and his attorney, Rick Evans, emphasized that the lawsuit raises questions about the integrity and accountability of lottery operations and the safeguards against such errors. The defendants have not yet provided further comments on the matter.
