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‘You can retire now.’ Lottery player calls mom with exciting news after big win in WA

A man from Everett, Washington, scored a big prize from a Scratch ticket.
A man from Everett, Washington, scored a big prize from a Scratch ticket. Jonathan Borba via Unsplash

A lucky lottery player was quick to call his mom when he found out he scored a big prize in Washington.

He had won $500,000 from a Scratch game.

The man from Everett dropped his son off at school and bought an iced tea from the Evergreen Food Store, Washington’s Lottery said in a Nov. 6 news release.

While at the store, he decided to buy three lottery tickets, according to the release.

He realized he had a winning ticket when he scratched the last one, the release said. But he didn’t believe it at first.

“Did I really win this?” he said.

Then, he called his mom to tell her about the win, lottery officials said. She also thought he was joking at first.

“You can retire now,” he told her, according to the release, and they celebrated over breakfast.

In addition to helping his mom, the man told lottery officials he plans to use his money on buying a car for his son as well as putting some aside for his college fund.

Everett is about 30 miles north 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 November 6, 2023 at 6:22 PM with the headline "‘You can retire now.’ Lottery player calls mom with exciting news after big win in WA."

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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