Washington State

Couple celebrates $360 win in Washington lottery — but they missed a few zeroes

A couple from Lynnwood won $360,000 from a Hit 5 Washington lottery game, according to an Aug. 15, 2022, news release.
A couple from Lynnwood won $360,000 from a Hit 5 Washington lottery game, according to an Aug. 15, 2022, news release. Washington's Lottery

A couple thought they won a $360 from a Washington lottery game, but their win was actually much higher.

The couple from Lynnwood bought a ticket for the Hit 5 game at a Fred Meyer in July.

When the husband tried to cash in what he thought was a few hundred dollar win at the store, the clerk told him to go to the lottery office to cash in his prize, according to an Aug. 15 news release from Washington’s Lottery.

They had won $360,000 — not $360.

“Do you need a chair?” the worker asked the husband when he realized the win.

Instead of grabbing a seat, he told the worker he had to cash the lottery ticket and dashed out of the store.

But he told his wife first.

“How is this tiny piece of paper worth $360,000?” the pair asked each other before going to Washington’s Lottery Everett Regional Office.

The couple said they gave their son and daughter-in-law, who are expecting a baby, $10,000 from their win.

They will add the rest of the money to their retirement fund.

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 August 16, 2022 at 11:44 AM with the headline "Couple celebrates $360 win in Washington lottery — but they missed a few zeroes."

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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