In January 2023, John Cheeks claimed to have felt “numb” upon realizing that his ticket matched the Powerball winning numbers.
However, Mr. Cheeks’ claim was rejected when he brought his ticket to the Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG).
“One of the claims agents told me my ticket was no good, just to throw it in the trash can,” he stated to the news.
Rather, Mr. Cheeks located a lawyer and kept that ticket.
He is currently suing the lottery for damages in the amount of $340 million, which is the Powerball prize plus the daily interest he would have received.
“Inadvertent mistake”
Court filings show that Taoti Enterprises, a lottery contractor based in Washington, DC, and Powerball both assert that the confusion was caused by a technical fault.
In a court document, a Taoti representative stated that a quality assurance team was testing the website on January 6, 2023, the day Mr. Cheeks purchased his ticket.
