Denied the $340 million jackpot, he takes the matter to court

A Washington, DC man is suing after being denied a Powerball jackpot because of an error on the DC Lottery website.

John Cheeks got a big surprise when he checked the winning numbers for the January 7, 2023 drawing on the web: he won a $340 million jackpot.

“I was a little excited, but I didn't scream […] I just called a friend. I took a photo as he recommended and that's it. I fell asleep,” he told News 4 Washington.

However, a few days after the drawing ended, the winning numbers on the DC Lottery website changed. When he went to a store to confirm his prize, Mr. Cheeks saw his ticket announced as non-winning.

The man then contacted a lawyer and sued to receive the money he believed he had won.

For its part, the DC Lottery defends itself by saying that the contractor, Taoti Enterprises, was the one that erroneously published the false numbers.

“Even if a mistake is made, the question is: What do you do about it? There's a precedent for this, a similar case in Iowa, where a contractor admitted to making a mistake and where [les gains ont été payés]», underlined M^me Richard Evans.

The parties involved in the lawsuit, filed last November, declined to comment because it is an ongoing legal matter.