Focus on the BIG picture.
Thursday, Mar 05, 2026
Outside the box.
Man seeks nearly $1B in lawsuit against lottery organizers after website error listed his numbers as winner
John Cheeks is suing Powerball and related parties for nearly $1 billion after his lottery numbers were erroneously shown as the winner on the official website.
Cheeks, a longtime Washington, D.C. resident, contends that the lottery organizers committed deceit and theft, failing to honor the prize he attempted to claim on January 10, 2023.
The complaint, filed in D.C.'s civil court, seeks $320 million—the prize value—plus daily interest since the claim date. The error, made by website operator Taoti Enterprises, displayed Cheeks' numbers as winning for three days, despite another set being the actual winner.
The lottery admitted the mistake but did not pay Cheeks, who now demands compensation for the mishap.
The complaint, filed in D.C.'s civil court, seeks $320 million—the prize value—plus daily interest since the claim date. The error, made by website operator Taoti Enterprises, displayed Cheeks' numbers as winning for three days, despite another set being the actual winner.
The lottery admitted the mistake but did not pay Cheeks, who now demands compensation for the mishap.
