If you’re eagerly awaiting a call from the Washington Lottery about this week’s $250,000 prize, we have some bad news. Officials confirmed Wednesday afternoon they’ve spoken with the lucky winner.
However the state is continuing to make calls for other winners who were selected in Tuesday’s drawing for merchandise prizes. So far, lottery officials are having to leave a lot of messages, according to lottery spokesperson Dan Miller.
In a Wednesday email to The Seattle Times, he passed along a message he hoped Washingtonians would remember as the drawings continue: Check your voicemail!
This week’s cash prize winner will submit their claim form Thursday, Miller said.
The rest of the June drawings will take place every Tuesday, with the drawing for the big $1 million jackpot scheduled for July 13. The biggest prize will be $250,000 every week, though other prizes will include merchandise prizes like Xboxes, airplane tickets and tickets to sporting events.
The lottery program aims to encourage vaccination among those who have yet to get their shots, with the aim of pushing the state to its goal of vaccinating at least 70% of residents 16 and older. Reaching that threshold could trigger a statewide reopening ahead of the planned June 30 reopening, Gov. Jay Inslee has said.
Inslee said during a Wednesday news conference that there are “some early signs” the state’s recently launched lottery prizes for vaccinated Washington residents has resulted in an uptick in vaccine appointments. But, he added, “we can’t say anything definitive yet about the impact.”
Seattle Times staff reporters Ryan Blethen and Jim Brunner contributed to this story.
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