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Woman thought ‘why not’ when buying Powerball ticket. Then she won big in Washington

A woman from Snohomish, Washington, bought a winning Powerball ticket from a Fred Meyer.
A woman from Snohomish, Washington, bought a winning Powerball ticket from a Fred Meyer. Vladimir Solomianyi via Unsplash

A lucky lottery player thought “why not?” when she bought a Powerball ticket at a local grocery store.

Then she scored $50,000.

The woman from Snohomish usually buys a HIT 5 or a Lotto game, but this time, she decided to get a Powerball ticket at a Fred Meyer, the Washington’s Lottery said in a Jan. 18 news release.

“Maybe this will be it,” the woman recalled thinking to lottery officials.

She forgot about the ticket for a few days, then checked it while shopping at another store, the lottery office said.

That’s when she saw “the most unexpected words” on her phone screen: “see Lottery regional office.”

The message appears when a player wins a big prize, so she left the store “in a daze” and hurried to her car.

She then called her partner and asked them to double-check her winning ticket, and they did.

Now she has plans to use her prize money to help local animal rescue shelters and on her next family vacation.

Snohomish is about 30 miles northeast of Seattle.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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This story was originally published January 19, 2024 at 11:46 AM with the headline "Woman thought ‘why not’ when buying Powerball ticket. Then she won big in Washington."

Helena Wegner
McClatchy DC
Helena Wegner is a McClatchy National Real-Time Reporter covering the state of Washington and the western region. She’s a journalism graduate from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She’s based in Phoenix.
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