Lottery fever hitting hard

By LESLIE MORIARTY

Herald Writer

Odds are, there’s a lottery ticket tucked tightly away somewhere in your wallet.

With the highest-ever Washington State Lottery jackpot hanging in the balance at $28 million today, ticket sales are busy.

Lottery officials say lottery fever is everywhere.

"It’s a huge thing," said Maureen Greeley, lottery spokeswoman. "Everybody wants to give it a try at this point."

But a Seattle psychic Tuesday warned that winning vibrations aren’t present.

"No one will win," said Eric Carlson, a Seattle psychic for 20 years. "The challenge is for us to get real this week. We need to deal with real issues."

Carlson said people have been stuck in sugar-coated, pie-in-the-sky thinking.

"Now is the time for people to be taken back to basics," he said. "We need to restore our integrity with others, and once that happens, and once we begin to care about others, then maybe the money will go.

"But this draw isn’t it."

The six Lotto numbers drawn today will be announced shortly after 7 p.m. If an individual wins he or she can claim half the jackpot, or $14 million, right away. That’s $10,080,000 after taxes.

If a winner chooses yearly payments, the check will be $806,400 a year, after taxes.

"That’s more than $2,200 a day for 25 years," Greeley said.

When Lotto reached $10 million Sept. 16, lottery officials decided to sweeten the pot by $2 million each Wednesday and Saturday drawing. It typically increases only $1 million each draw. The last winner was in August at $8 million.

That’s what’s led to the largest jackpot in the lottery’s 18-year history. The previous largest winner happened in December 1998, when two men split the jackpot. Each man got $12 million.

One of them was an Everett man, Don Hopkins. Hopkins, former Port of Everett Commission chairman, chose to take the one-time cash payment and scored $4.32 million after taxes.

The highest jackpot paid to a single winner was in October 1992 when a Spanaway resident won $21 million.

But in terms of the overall winning record, Everett’s been lucky, lottery officials point out. A second big winner, Dan Olafson, won $8 million in April 1998.

There doesn’t seem to be any local method to the number-picking madness, though. One of the local winners used his own lucky numbers and the other let the lottery machine pick six numbers for him.

Whatever method, a lot of people have been picking numbers. Sales of tickets in Saturday’s $26 million jackpot reached $6.5 million.

Overall, since the jackpot went from $14 million to Saturday’s $26 million, sales reached $28.3 million. By comparison, when the 1998 Lotto jackpot went from $14 million to $24 million, there was $27 million in sales. "So we’re still not at the level of sales that we were then, comparatively," Greeley said.

She suspects that may be because there is more competition for the entertainment dollar.

"It takes a larger jackpot all the time to get people to play," she said. "Most don’t play until it gets into the double digits.

Since the lottery awarded its first prize in 1982, it has contributed more than $1.6 billion to the state’s General Fund to support education, human services and natural resources. But the contributions in 1999 were less than one-half of 1 percent of all funds that support state services.

Of the total proceeds of the lottery sales, more than 60 percent is used to pay out prizes, 22 percent goes into the General Fund, retailer commissions account for 6 percent, about 3 percent go into stadium funding commitments, 4 percent cover the costs of sales, and about 2 cents on every dollar goes toward administrative costs.

In any event, if today’s Lotto jackpot remains in place for Saturday, it will reach $30 million. And according to psychic Carlson, you can better your chances of winning it by becoming "real."

"Instead of just doing that nice thing you’re always saying you’re going to do, get out and do it," he said. "Or make peace with someone. Face (the fact) that your relationships have to be solid before you will see any capital gains."

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Customers enter and exit the Costco on Dec. 2, 2022, in Lake Stevens. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Costco stores could be impacted by looming truck driver strike threat

Truck drivers who deliver groceries and produce to Costco warehouses… Continue reading

Two Washington State ferries pass along the route between Mukilteo and Clinton as scuba divers swim near the shore Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Ferry system increases ridership by a half million in 2024

Edmonds-Kingston route remains second-busiest route in the system.

Firefighters respond to a 911 call on July 16, 2024, in Mill Creek. Firefighters from South County Fire, Tulalip Bay Fire Department and Camano Island Fire and Rescue left Wednesday to help fight the LA fires. (Photo provided by South County Fire)
Help is on the way: Snohomish County firefighters en route to LA fires

The Los Angeles wildfires have caused at least 180,000 evacuations. The crews expect to arrive Friday.

x
Edmonds police shooting investigation includes possibility of gang violence

The 18-year-old victim remains in critical condition as of Friday morning.

The Everett Wastewater Treatment Plant along the Snohomish River. Thursday, June 16, 2022 in Everett. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett council approves water, sewer rate increases

The 43% rise in combined water and sewer rates will pay for large infrastructure projects.

Robin Cain with 50 of her marathon medals hanging on a display board she made with her father on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Running a marathon is hard. She ran one in every state.

Robin Cain, of Lake Stevens, is one of only a few thousand people to ever achieve the feat.

People line up to grab food at the Everett Recovery Cafe on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Coffee, meals and compassion are free at the Everett Recovery Cafe

The free, membership-based day center offers free coffee and meals and more importantly, camaraderie and recovery support.

Devani Padron, left, Daisy Ramos perform during dance class at Mari's Place Monday afternoon in Everett on July 13, 2016. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)
Mari’s Place helps children build confidence and design a better future

The Everett-based nonprofit offers free and low-cost classes in art, music, theater and dance for children ages 5 to 14.

The Everett Wastewater Treatment Plant along the Snohomish River on Thursday, June 16, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett water, sewer rates could jump 43% by 2028

The rate hikes would pay for improvements to the city’s sewer infrastructure.

The bond funded new track and field at Northshore Middle School on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024 in Bothell, Washington. (Courtesy of Northshore School District)
Northshore School District bond improvements underway

The $425 million bond is funding new track and field complexes, playgrounds and phase one of two school replacements.

The Everett Municipal Building on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Everett council approves $111 million construction of sewer project

The Port Gardner Storage Facility, in the works for more than a decade, will help prevent overflows of the city sewer system.

Two students walk along a path through campus Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022, at Everett Community College in Everett, Washington. A group of nearly 20 community groups are planning to study how to make it easier for young people to find jobs. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Goal for Everett coalition: Make it easier for young people to find jobs

The organizations hope the months-long process will improve access to resources for young people.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.