Man Accidentally Awarded ₹2,800 Crore Lottery Prize; Company Claims Error

A man from Washington DC, John Cheeks, is taking legal action against Powerball and the DC Lottery after believing he won the $340 million (over ₹2,800 crore) jackpot. Cheeks purchased a Powerball lottery ticket on January 6, 2023, and was surprised to find his numbers listed on the DC Lottery’s website two days later. However, Powerball and the DC Lottery claim that his numbers were published in error, leading to a legal battle over the rightful winner.

Despite missing the Powerball drawing, Cheeks submitted his ticket to the Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG) for validation. The OLG rejected his claim, stating that the ticket was not validated as a winner by their gaming system. Cheeks, refusing to discard the ticket, sought legal counsel and filed a lawsuit against Powerball, naming the Multi-State Lottery Association and game contractor Taoti Enterprises as defendants.

In the lawsuit, Cheeks seeks damages amounting to the Powerball jackpot, plus the daily interest he would have earned on it, totaling $340 million. He alleges eight separate counts, including breach of contract, negligence, infliction of emotional distress, and fraud. Cheeks’ lawyer, Richard Evans, argues that since the winning numbers matched Cheeks’ numbers, he should receive the entire jackpot. The case is scheduled for a hearing on February 23.