All news

DC man almost lost half of his $1M win!

Lost and then found!

Phillip H. with his $500,000 Lucky for Life check.
Phillip H. with his $500,000 Lucky for Life check. Photograph credit to the District of Columbia Lottery.
Todd Betzold
Add lotteryusa.com as a preferred source on Google

One very lucky player in Washington, D.C., found himself in quite a predicament when he couldn't find one of his $500,000 winning Lucky for Life tickets. After a month of searching, it was found, and he can breathe a sigh of relief.

A stressful time

For the August 12 Lucky for Life drawing, Phillip H. purchased two tickets. Both of those tickets matched the five winning white ball numbers to score the game's $25,000 a year for life prize. However, he couldn't find one of the tickets, so he was feeling a little stressed out!

The winning white ball numbers for the August 12 drawing were 3, 6, 17, 24, and 35, and the Lucky Ball was 2. Each of the winning tickets had a cash value of $500,000, and combined, the tickets totaled a potential windfall of $1,000,000.

The 57-year-old environmental volunteer told lottery officials:

I always get two tickets, and I always pick my own numbers. That's my winning strategy. I saw that the first ticket was a winner but couldn't find the other ticket.

Patience paid off

Since he had one winning ticket in his hands, Phillip claimed that first Lucky for Life win right away at the DC Lottery's Prize Center.

Patience paid off though for Phillip, because over a month later he returned to the prize center and had that second winning ticket in his hand!

He told lottery officials, “After searching through old tickets, I found it and let out a big sigh of relief.”

The winning tickets were purchased at Anacostia Mobil, located in Southeast D.C.

Now that he has both prizes in his possession, the lucky player said he plans on tackling a list of home improvement projects and buying a new truck to help with his volunteer efforts.

Lucky for Life is a daily draw game available in the District of Columbia, as well as 22 other states. Tickets cost $2 per play and prizes range from $3 up to the top prize, which is $1,000 a day for life.

'Quad' wins in D.C.

While Phillip was celebrating a double win in the Lucky for Life game, plenty of other players were recently celebrating back-to-back “quad” wins for the DC 4 game!

On September 23, DC Lottery players won a combined $1.24 million playing the DC 4 Evening drawing. The winning numbers for that drawing were 2-2-2-2 and there were about 342 winning tickets sold for that drawing.

That happened to be the second night in a row for quad numbers, because the Night DC 4 drawing on September 22 was 8-8-8-8. There were 232 tickets that won during that draw, which resulted in $1.07 million in winnings, a record that only lasted one day!

The $1.07 million was the highest payout for DC 4, but that record lasted one day when the next night, the DC Lottery paid out $1.24 million.

Enjoy playing the DC Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.

Comments

0
Loading comments

Related articles

The DC Lottery logo over a white background.
DC Lottery reveals weeks-long drawing flaw

Repeated digits were impossible to draw for weeks.

Samantha Herscher profile pic

Samantha Herscher

The Florida Lottery over a white and golden background.
One millionaire every 1.7 days? Florida Lottery off to fast start in 2026

Nearly 75% of prizes came from instant tickets, while 52 players hit seven figures in just 90 days.

Todd Betzold profile pic

Todd Betzold

Leah Haworth, the latest recipient of the Michigan Lottery Excellence in Education award.
Lottery spotlight shifts from winners to community heroes

As Ireland launches a new campaign, similar efforts in states like Michigan are already rewarding everyday impact.

Todd Betzold profile pic

Todd Betzold

Recent articles

View All
West Virginia Lottery, Director David Bradley.
Featured
Exclusive interview
The West Virginia Lottery celebrates its 40th Anniversary

The West Virginia Lottery gives out millions in prizes for its 40th anniversary.

 

Alex Cramer profile pic

Alex Cramer

The Powerball logo next to the U.K National Lottery logo over a white background.
Featured
The U.K. is set to join Powerball, raising stakes for U.S. players

More players may boost prizes, but U.S. winners could face more shared jackpots.

Todd Betzold profile pic

Todd Betzold

A hand holding a remote control, in front of a TV where you can see a Powerball draw being held.
Powerball broadcast system getting a satellite upgrade

Powerball is upgrading its satellite system for more reliable broadcasts.

Halley Bondy profile pic

Halley Bondy

The Lotto America logo over a yellow background with stars.
108 drawings later, Lotto America's third-largest jackpot nears $23M

With no winner since last summer, the prize has climbed into elite territory for this $1 multi-state game.

Todd Betzold profile pic

Todd Betzold