Winners' Corner

A Daughter’s Zip Code Is Perfect for $50,000 Win

“My daughter lives in Indianapolis, and I played her zip code, 46060,” said Ronald Lassiter about how he selected the five winning numbers for the August 27, 2010 mid-day drawing for DC 5. With those numbers and a $1 straight bet, Lassiter won $50,000. He also boxed the numbers with a .50-cent wager and won $850, bringing his total win to $50,850. A regular numbers player, Lassiter said he checked the DC 5 numbers on DClottery.com and couldn’t believe that he had won. “I had to look again.” He said he is going give his daughter some of his winnings as well as pay bills. Congratulations!

What to do? What to do?

Twenty-year old Quenzell Thomas held on to his winning DC5 ticket for almost 2 months before claiming his $25,000 prize. The Beltsville, MD resident has a bit of a debate on his hands: what to do with his winnings. “I want a car. My dad wants me to get back in school,” said the retail employee. “I could use the car, but I know I need to think about the long term.” It’s a challenging decision, but surely made easier with the assistance of $25,000. Congratulations, Quenzell!

Excitement in the Air!

Excitement ran through Sharon Sweetney at the Lucky Lincoln House in Northwest when she scratched her instant ticket scratch game “10X Cash” and realized that she had won the top prize - $100,000! Sweetney, a Federal Government employee, plans to spend some of her winnings on her children and mother, pay off her credit cards, and decorate her house. Congratulations!

Tickled with $2,500 Win!

James Bennett of Washington, D.C. was tickled to pick-up his $2,500 in winnings on what was one of the D.C. Lottery’s biggest payout days this year for DC4. The regular D.C. Lottery player summed up his feelings with this statement: “I’m just happy to play and happy to win!”

"Big Hit" Winner

Laverne Plater was among the winners on the Big Hit of 1113 for the evening draw on 8/18/10. The Washington, D.C. resident is a regular D.C. Lottery player who said when she heard the news of the big hit: “I was cashing-in a ticket from a previous win. Now, I have to look at what I played for this draw!” Lots of People Win with the D.C. Lottery!

“DC 5 is My Game!”

Raymond Newman of Landover Hills, MD, is no stranger to the D.C. Lottery’s winners circle. In March 2010, the loyal DC5 player won $50,000. In July, he and his wife were among the revelers at the one-year anniversary for DC5 at L’Enfant Plaza. And, now Mr. Newman is back on our Winner’s Page with another win with DC5—this time for $25,000! “I feel great. I’m planning on retiring soon and this will help me take care of some things. DC 5 is my game,” exclaimed the lucky player.

Enjoying the Lucky Days of Summer!

Congratulations to the most recent $250 winners of our DC 5 Bonus Coupon promotion!
Treva Lindsey of Suitland, MD
Sheila Howell of Suitland, MD
Karen Freeman-Cunningham of Washington, D.C.
Jasvinder Dhingar of Montgomery Village, MD

D.C. Lottery Player Parlays $20 Prize Into $1,000 Win

Paul Kesner is the D.C. Lottery’s July 2010 District of Columbia Black Second Chance Drawing. He won a $1,000 gift card with money he had initially won by playing other D.C. Lottery games. “I had won $20 or $21 bucks with POWERBALL® and Mega Millions®, so I decided to get a Black ticket,” said Kesner. It turned out that he won another $20, so he bought another Black ticket. This time, he didn’t win a cash prize; however, he was interested in the Second Chance Drawing, where he could potentially win a $1,000 gift card, or the grand prize of a trip for two to Las Vegas. “I liked that I could enter the Second Chance Drawing online,” he said. “It was very easy.” What’s he going to do with his prize? “I’m thinking about buying a new iPhone and saving the rest for presents.”

A Friend’s Suggestion Turns Into $50,000 DC 5 Win

A month ago, Monique Randall of Huntingtown, MD started playing DC 5 after a friend suggested that she do so. Since then, she’s been playing the same numbers, and on July 13, 2010, she won $50,000 with the evening drawing. “That night, before I went to bed, I looked at the TV. I just screamed, then screamed some more,” an excited Randall recalled about realizing that she had won $50,000. Grateful for the win, Randall said she took her time claiming her prize because she had to work and needed time for the win to sink in. “I’m going to pay off a few bills, and I’d like to take a cruise to Hawaii someday,” she noted. “I want to spend it wisely.”

July 4th Win Worth $25,000

On Independence Day, Nancy Oliver of NE, Washington, D.C. played the evening drawing of DC 5. And, amidst the parties and fireworks, Oliver was celebrating the fact that her .50-cent wager turned into a $25,000 win! Congratulations.

Newest $10,000 winner with District of Columbia Black

Charles Childress of Silver Spring is the newest $10,000 winner with District of Columbia Black, the D.C. Lottery’s first instant scratcher with a top prize of a cool $1million. A technical communications specialist who works in the District and is a regular D.C. Lottery player, Charles says he took the ticket home to play. When he scratched and his prize was revealed, he showed the winning scratcher to his wife and said, “You might want to take a look at this.”

$10,000 Win Just in Time for First Mortgage Payment

Alexandria, Virginia resident Jimmy Johnson just bought a new house and his first mortgage payment is due July 1. On June 22, he won $10,000 with Mega Millions. “I was just looking at my bills and hating them. I bought a 1950’s ranch, and it needs a lot of work. Now, I’ll be able to pay off a credit card.” Johnson, a regular Mega Millions player, didn’t realize how much he had won until he arrived at the D.C. Lottery’s Claim Center to collect his prize. “It hasn’t sunk in yet. I’m trying not to be too excited.” In addition to becoming a new homeowner, family and friends are coming to visit for the Fourth of July. “I think I’ll treat them,” Johnson said with a smile.

Part-time Realtor Ready to Become Full-time Homeowner with $250,000 Win

Part-time realtor Mechal Chame helps others find a home. Now, he will be able to purchase his own as he won $250,000 with DC Daily 6, his favorite D.C. Lottery game. “This going to a make difference. I’m a father,” said Chame, who resides in Alexandria, VA. He said he would like to stay in the Commonwealth, and after buying a home, he will save the rest of his prize money for college tuition.

A Flower Vase Makes the Perfect Hiding Place for $1,000 Winning Ticket

A flower vase was the perfect safe place for Tye Graves of Northwest to keep his District of Columbia Black tickets that he had entered in the Black ticket second chance drawing. So, when Graves was notified that he had won the $1,000 gift card for the June 2010 drawing, he knew exactly where his winning ticket was and was able to claim his prize. Last year, Graves had entered a different D.C. Lottery second chance drawing, but was unable to collect his $500 prize because he couldn’t find his winning ticket. “I never did find my tickets,” Graves recalled, “but I feel like this win makes up for it because I won twice as much.” Smiling, Graves said he doesn’t have any special plans for the money and may consider replacing his 15-year old television with a new one.

Nice Piece of Change

Arrington Ward won $50,000 with two winning DC 5 tickets valued at $25,000 each. The Hyattsville, MD resident and family man says he’ll forgo any immediate gratification and put the money away for his children’s education. “It is a nice piece of change,” stated the regular D.C. Lottery player when asked about his win.

Lottery Win Brings Boost to Laid-off Worker

Patricia Mills of St. Pleasant, MD, was reserved when she claimed $75,000 from a single winning DC 5 ticket. Recently laid-off after more than 30 years of service with a local brokerage firm, the regular D.C. Lottery player says her winnings will go a long way to pay bills and help two granddaughters with their college tuition.
The winning ticket was purchased at Skip’s Liquor, 405 61st Street, N.E.

Since its launch in July 2009, there have been six $25,000 winners.

Beginner’s Luck for Native Washingtonian

A native Washingtonian, Charlene Wilson recently returned to the area in search of employment opportunities. “I’ve been back in D.C. for about one week,” said Wilson. Currently residing in Northeast, she decided to play DC 5 for the first time and placed her wager on the evening drawing of June 10. “I played my birthday,” said Wilson, who also shared, “I had $2 to my name yesterday.” Not anymore. Wilson’s birthday numbers are winning numbers, as she won $25,000 with the D.C. Lottery’s five-digit game DC 5. “I’m happy. I’m grateful.” Wilson bought her winning ticket at Check Cash JOT, 2305 Benning Road, N.E.

Routine Stop Turns Up $50,000 Win.

After working the midnight shift, Eldred Boria of Baltimore, Maryland stopped at 7-Eleven, 218 Cedar Street, N.W. to get his usual cup of coffee and D.C. Scratcher. This time he decided to play the $5 Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas instant scratch ticket game. “I usually play the $1, $2, or $5 games, and I scratch all of the numbers first, then look at the prize amounts.” Boria immediately knew that he had won a prize, but he didn’t know the amount until he scratched the ticket a second time revealing the $50,000 cash prize! “I saw all those zeroes, and I was confused,” Boria recalled. “I had to ask them to check the ticket again to make sure I was reading it correctly.” Indeed he was. Boria plans to use his winnings to pay off his credit cards, take a vacation with his wife, and save the rest.

$200,000 Surprise!

“I felt like crying,” recalled Salamatu Koroma about finding out that she had won $200,000 with POWERBALL, her favorite D.C. Lottery game. A friend called her at work and said, “I think your numbers came in.” Koroma was overcome by disbelief. “Are you telling me the truth?” she questioned. For the May 26, 2010 POWERBALL drawing, Koroma matched the five white balls: 1-6-10-13-20 correctly to win $200,000. The Northeast resident missed the red PowerBall number, which was 32. She said she plays the same numbers all of the time, and plans to save the money for her young daughter’s education. “That is most important right now.” She bought her winning ticket at Takoma Park Liquors, 6200 Eastern Ave., N.E.

A “Very Happy” D.C. Lottery Winner!

Congratulations to Pedro Artola, the first Taxes Paid Bonanza top prize winner. Artola thought he had a winning ticket for $1,000; however, while at the Claim Center collecting his prize, he learned that he had actually won $100,000!. “I am very happy and immediately came to the Claim Center,” Artola exclaimed about his win. A native of El Salvador, Artola has been living in Washington, D.C. for 20 years and said he is going to use his prize money to visit his mom, who lives in El Salvador. There is one top prize remaining with the Taxes Paid Bonanza D.C. Scratcher.

All Eyes on Black!

Everybody was saying what a great ticket it is, so I decided to play,” said Alice Thomas, who bought five District of Columbia Black tickets. “I won $20 and $30, then I scratched the fifth one and won $25,000!” Thomas, who resides in Northwest, said she doesn’t have any special plans for her $25,000 cash prize. She bought her winning ticket at News 2 U, 490 L’Enfant Plaza East, Suite 715, S.W.

An Excited $10,000 DC 4 Winner

Excitement is an understatement for Markeshia Miller, who is overjoyed about winning $10,000 with DC 4. Miller of Southeast, Washington, D.C. bought her winning DC 4 ticket at Rose’s Liquor, 830 Bladensburg Road, N.E.

D.C. Scratchers Player Wins $75,000 Instantly

When Henry Mendoza bought the $10 D.C. Lottery instant scratcher $75,000 Instant Payout, he was unaware that he had just purchased the ticket with the $75,000 top prize. Mendoza, a resident of Southeast, Washington, D.C., bought his winning ticket at JJ Mutts and Spirits, 643 Pennsylvania Avenue, S.E.

$5,000 Winning Smile

Northeast, Washington, D.C. resident Tamika Cummings is flashing her $5,000 winning smile at the D.C. Lottery’s Claim Center at the Frank D. Reeves Municipal Center in Northwest. Rose’s Liquor, 830 Bladensburg Road, N.E., is where she bought her winning ticket.

DC 4 Favorite

Virginia Johnson of Silver Spring, Maryland won $5,000 with DC 4, one of the D.C. Lottery’s most popular games. She bought her winning ticket at Cork ‘N Bottle, 7421 Georgia Avenue, N.W.

Lottery Pool Builds Its Own Stimulus Package!

Robert Hemsley of Washington, DC is the leader of his lottery pool, and happily claimed the prize for the pool's latest win--$101,700 playing DC 5. The team has played the number 1-2-1-2-5 since the launch of DC 5 last year; the team members simply added the '5' from DC 5 to their favorite DC 4 number (1-2-1-2) to come up with this winning combination. When asked what they would do the winnings, Hemsley said, "We're going to take this little stimulus package and put in the bank as an emergency fund." The pool plays together across all of the D.C. Lottery games, and cannot wait for the next time it has to come to the D.C. Lottery Claims Center to claim a big prize!

A Very Blessed Man

Don't let his stern demeanor fool you! Joseph Daniels, originally of Louisville, KY, is a very happy man after collecting $15,000 in winnings from the DC 4 by playing the number 9-0-0-0. Mr. Daniels likes to play numbers that just come to him, and who can argue with the success he has had--Last year he won with 0-0-0-9, two other DC 4 numbers, and $75,000 with a DC Scratcher ticket. Mr. Daniels considers himself just a very blessed man and works hard to live as good man.

A Savings Replenished

Winning $5,000 with DC-4 is exactly what Eunice Baker of Forestville, Maryland needed. Baker has recently experienced personal tragedy and has been travelling back and forth between Washington, D.C. and Boston. “Now, I’ll be able to put some money back into my savings account.” Additionally, Baker has three other siblings who she plays the lottery with and will share her winnings with her brother who bought her the winning ticket.

$10,000 Gift Arrives Just in Time

Lakeia Peay’s (right) stepfather gave her a $10,000 gift. He stopped by Good Hope Auto Center at 2300 Pennsylvania Avenue, S.E. and bought her a POWERBALL ticket for the April 14, 2010 drawing. Her ticket correctly matched four white balls and the red PowerBall to win $10,000. “When my stepfather told me that I had won, I thought it was a joke. OMG!” laughed Peay of Southeast, D.C. when recalling the memory of realizing that she had won. So did her mother, Tawanna McSwain, (left) who is very excited for her daughter. Peay plans to use the money to buy necessities for her new bundle of joy that is due in about six weeks.

Quick Pick Turns Into $10,000 Win!

Saidi Seway is a regular POWERBALL player who selected the Quick Pick option for the April 21, 2010 drawing and won $10,000. “I went to the store and saw that I had won!” Seway said he is going to put the money in his account and take his time deciding on what he is going to do with it. The New Carrollton, Maryland resident bought his winning ticket at Van Ness Liquors, 4201 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.

First-timer Wins $2,500 with Scratch Ticket

Mariamawit Dagne of Gaithersburg, Maryland won $2,500 with the $20 scratcher Cash Xpress. Dagne said this was the first time that she had played this game and was excited to win. She plans to use the money to pay down her credit card debt.

Regular Player Wins with DC 4, Loves All Games

“I’ve won a few time throughout the years,” said Deatrice Brown about her $2,500 DC-4 win. Brown, who resides in Southeast, said she also like to play DC 5, D.C. KENO, and POWERBALL.

DC 4 Still Popular Among D.C. Lottery Players

Rebecca Pinkney enjoys playing DC-4, one of the most popular games. The Northwest resident won $2,500.

Bedazzling Win!

Bedazzled was the right game for Emma Hall of Northeast, Washington, D.C., who won $500 with the $2 instant scratch ticket game. Smiling shyly, Hall said D.C. Scratchers are her favorite D.C. Lottery game, especially the $1 and $2 tickets. “I like the variety of ways to win.”

Good Vitals!

Lekecia Tolson won $5,000 with DC 4. The northeast Washington, D.C. resident is pursuing a career in healthcare. This monetary infusion should help spike her stats.

Just in time for Tax Day!

Carter Brown of Washington, DC is the latest Taxes Paid Bonanza winner! On her way to yoga this morning, Ms. Brown headed to her local convenience store looking to buy a Scratcher. It was a good thing she was headed to yoga, otherwise she would not have been able to calm her excitement down when she discovered that she had just won $5100! The best part of winning with a Taxes Paid Bonanza ticket is that the D.C. Lottery paid the taxes on the ticket for her! Just time for tax day! Ms. Brown is a regular Scratchers player, and cannot wait to pick out her next winning ticket!

Just Couldn't Contain Her Excitement

Bridget Pannell may have set the record for the most excited lottery winner of all time. With a smile that permanently set on her face, she was literally bouncing and hopping up and down the halls of the D.C. Lottery offices when she collected the $5000 she won playing DC-4. Most amazingly, Ms. Pannell waited almost three weeks to claim her winning ticket! With the level of enthusiasm she demonstrated at our offices, she must have been bouncing off of walls for those three weeks. Ms. Pannell has been playing with winning number of 1-9-5-5 off and on for numerous years, but it looks like 2-0-1-0 will go down as her lucky year.

Best. Lunchbreak. Ever!

Washington native Tijuana Austin decided to try her luck during her lunch break with two Royal Riches scratchers, and won $7500 on the first ticket that she scratched! Ms. Austin loves playing D.C. Scratchers and recently won $200 with the new Taxes Paid Bonanza ticket as well. Oh, and as if she wasn't lucky enough with her big win, the other ticket she purchased won $20 as well! Congratulations, Ms. Austin!

Had a Good Week and Kept it Going!

“I had a nice little windfall at work, so I thought I would take a chance," said Doug Forsythe of Washington, D.C. who played his birthday and won $5,000 with DC-4 on April 6, 2010. He plans to spend his winnings on an early birthday present and to help take care of a friend in need.

Desperate? Not With $10,000 Win!

“Make sure you get my hat in the picture,” said Lois Walker of Southeast, Washington, D.C. who won $10,000 with DC-4 on April 1, 2010. She played her lucky numbers of 7-2-7-2 for the evening drawing and was excited when she listened to the D.C. Lottery’s Lot-line and learned that she had two winning tickets worth $5,000 each. Walker may be sporting a desperate housewife cap, but she’s not desperate for cash after her win. What’s she going to do with her prize? “I have four grandchildren in college,” she responded proudly.

Just Had a Feeling!

Joyce Cobb of Washington, D.C. kept seeing a number that reminded her of her address. Urged by her D.C. Lottery retailer, she decided to play DC-4 using her street address, and she won! Cobb only plays the lottery when she feels like she might have a good shot. With results like this, who can argue with her reasons!

No New Taxes and Back for More!

Ronald O’Neal of Washington, D.C. won $10,000 free and clear with the D.C. instant scratcher Taxes Paid Bonanza. The retired transit employee is a regular ‘scratcher’ who’s no stranger to winning at the D.C. Lottery. He won $50,000 last year on another D.C. Lottery instant scratcher game!

I Just Smiled To Myself

Helen Green of Northwest Washington, D.C. won $5,000 on each of her four DC-4 tickets, totaling $20,000. With home improvement plans in the works, the soft-spoken regular D.C. Lottery player says she found she’d won when she went back to her regular D.C. Lottery agent and checked the numbers on the board. “When I saw my number had come out, I just smiled to myself.”

Each time is like the first time!

Kenneth Alexander Crosson is an avid dancer and regular D.C. Lottery player. The Northeast Washington, D.C. resident waltzed away from the D.C. Lottery $5,000 richer from his recent DC-4 win. “Whenever I win, it’s new for me!”

Found the Golden Egg!

Chon Villatoro of Northwest, Washington, D.C. loves playing all D.C. Lottery games. Golden Goose, a $5 D.C. Scratcher, is his new favorite game as he won the top prize of $35,000. What’s he going to do with his prize money? Take a vacation to his homeland, El Salvador, where he will visit family and friends.

Doing Fine with ‘Fantastic Five’

Jemal Abegaz is new to the Washington, D.C. area, but familiar enough with the D.C. Lottery’s Fantastic Five instant scratcher to win its top prize of $25,555. The northwest Washington, D.C. resident is originally from Ethiopia, but says he and his friends all play the D.C. Lottery games. “I’m very happy,” Mr. Abegaz communicated through a translator about his win. “Maybe I’ll start a small business.”