One winner found Bonu$ Play voucher wadded up at the bottom of his bag; the other normally buys a $5 Lotto ticket but only had a $20 bill, so bought two $10 tickets, one of which included his eventual winning Bonu$ Play voucher.
Olympia, Wash. (May 31, 2023) – Washington’s Lottery today announced that the two grand prize winners for the 2023 Winnebago® Solis® Pocket™ Camper Van promotion have driven off – literally – with their winnings. Steven, a flight attendant who lives in West Seattle, and Mike from Edmonds, a retiree who volunteers his time for a local non-profit, each claimed their prize to great fanfare at the Roy Robinson RV Center in Marysville on May 24.
Both Steven and Mike are regular Lotto players who each had unique experiences that led them to their big wins, including not having exact change and nearly being unable to find the $1,000 winning ticket that got him entered into the grand prize drawing.
“Lotto is my game and I normally buy a $5 ticket, but I didn’t have $5 on me, just a $20,” said Steven. “So I put it into the machine and decided to get two $10 tickets when I saw the RV promotion and one of those bonus tickets ended up being the winner. Thank goodness for not having exact change!”
Mike from Edmonds, a self-described car guy who bought his $10 Lotto ticket specifically because of the RV promotion, had some momentary panic around where he put his Bonu$ Play ticket.
“I get takeout from this great Greek place and when I’m there, I buy my Lotto tickets,” said Mike. “The other day, the owner told me that someone who bought a ticket at his store won the $1,000 prize, which then got you entered into the grand prize drawing for the camper van. I started digging around for mine and couldn’t find it. Then, down at the very bottom of my bag, all wadded up, was this piece of paper. I unfolded it and there was the ticket! As soon as I scanned it and saw that I won $1,000, the store owner started screaming like crazy. He was so excited for me because I nearly missed my chance at the grand prize!”
Steven has already made plans for his maiden voyage in his new Winnebago Solis Pocket Camper Van. He plans to complete The Grand Circle Road Trip, one of the most famous National Parks road trips in the country, hitting parks across the Southwest, including Bryce Canyon, Arches, Canyonlands, Grand Canyon, Capitol Reef and more.
“The funny thing is that I’ve been a flight attendant for years and while I’ve been to dozens of countries around the world and almost every state, the furthest road trip I’ve ever taken is to either Portland, Lake Chelan or Whistler. Not anymore!”
This promotion from Washington’s Lottery gave players the chance to win one of two 2023 Winnebago Solis Pocket Camper Vans, as well as $1,000 instant cash and $1,000 KOA gift cards. Players who purchased a $10 Lotto ticket during the promotion window received a Bonu$ Play ticket. There were seven weekly drawings held. For the first six drawings, 10 winners were selected, each winning a $1,000 instant cash prize. For the seventh and final drawing, which took place on May 15, 2023, winners who claimed their $1,000 cash prize from earlier drawings were entered into the Grand Prize drawing. That drawing was for a chance to win the camper vans, or one of five $1,000 KOA gift cards.
Making a Difference in Washington State
Since 1982, Washington’s Lottery has generated more than $4.5 billion to support several important state programs, including providing much-needed funds for the Washington Opportunity Pathways Account (WOPA). In FY21, WOPA received $185.7 million from the Lottery, enough to pay college tuition for more than 18,000 Washington residents. It also provided approximately 25% of the annual budget for the state’s Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program, which provides critical services to more than 15,000 children at 440 locations across Washington.
Washington’s Lottery Beneficiary Fact – April 2022
Washington’s Lottery is very proud to be a financial supporter of the state’s Early Childhood Education & Assistance Program (ECEAP). The $40 million annual investment the lottery makes in ECEAP has lasting effects. Children who participate in ECEAP are more likely to be kindergarten-ready than non-participants, and those who participate five or more hours per day are especially prepared in reading and math.* Children in state-funded pre-K programs like ECEAP see long-lasting positive effects, including increased grade progression, high school graduation and college enrollment.**
About Washington’s Lottery: The state’s Lottery offers consumers several types of games, including Mega Millions, Powerball, Lotto, Hit 5, Match 4, Pick 3, Daily Keno and Scratch. For more information, visit www.walottery.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @walottery.
Keep it fun. Know your limit. Washington’s Lottery is an advocate for responsible gaming and collaborates with the Evergreen Council for Problem Gambling to provide resources for those in need. More information is available at www.walottery.com/Responsibility.
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Press Contacts
Dan Miller (Curator on behalf of Washington’s Lottery)
E-mail: dan.miller@curatorpr.com
Xiamara Garza (Curator on behalf of Washington’s Lottery)
E-mail: xiamara.garza@curatorpr.com
* Early Learning Feedback Report. https://erdc.wa.gov/data-dashboards/early-learning-feedback-report-0
** Boston Public Schools Department of Early Childhood. (n.d.). Boston universal pre-K. Retrieved June 9, 2021, from https://www.bpsearlylearning.org/boston-upk