Man Decides To Sue Powerball After Being Told His $340M ‘Win’ Was A Mistake
22 Feb 2024
A man has decided to sue the lottery after being told his $340 million (£270 million) win was a mistake.
John Cheeks, from Washington DC, thought his life had changed forever when he saw the Powerball’s winning numbers on January 6 2023.
However, when he tried to claim his winnings he was denied multiple times with one of the claims agents telling him his “ticket was no good, just to throw it in the trash can.”
It turns out a quality assurance team was running tests on the website the day Mr Cheeks bought his ticket and accidentally posted Cheeks numbers on the website.
Cheeks is now suing for the whole $340m plus interest, on eight separate counts, including breach of contract, negligence, infliction of emotional distress. and fraud.
Cheeks’ lawyer told the BBC: “This lawsuit raises critical questions about the integrity and accountability of lottery operations and the safeguards – or lack thereof – against the type of errors that Powerball and the DC Lottery contend occurred in this case,”
“This is not merely about numbers on a website; it’s about the reliability of institutions that promise life-changing opportunities, while heavily profiting in the process.”