Player cleverly dons money outfit to conceal identity in winner photo
By Kate Northrop
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A Washington, D.C. woman threw on a disguise worthy of a multi-million lottery prize when she visited the DC Lottery to claim her winnings in person.
A Washington, D.C. resident cleverly concealed her identity while claiming her $2 million lottery prize with a thematically appropriate outfit.
While shopping at Franklin Liquor & Market on 7th Street Northeast, she decided to purchase a lottery ticket. The ticket she chose was from the DC Lottery's "Extreme 500X Fortune" game, the district's first-ever $50 scratch-off ticket that had launched in April.
The game offered $18 million in total cash prizes at its debut, and this lucky resident instantly became the first winner of the $2 million top prize, the largest prize amount for a scratch-off in DC Lottery history.
The player, who chose to remain anonymous, describes herself as "adventure ready" now that she has her check in-hand. Before winning, she was researching retirement options after enjoying her work as a career civil servant for 30 years.
She was decked out in what looks like a boa of paper bills while posing with her check for $2 million, completing the look with a shiny gold hat and dollar sign glasses that helped conceal her face.
"This changes everything!" she exclaimed when Lottery officials asked whether her newly minted millionaire status influences her plans.
She claimed her prize as a one-time payment of $1.52 million rather than receive the full $2 million as annuitized payments over 20 years.
"We love to see our players win life-changing prizes like this, and we could not be happier for our latest big winner," Lottery Executive Director Randy Burnside said in a press release. "The 'Extreme 500X Fortune' offers players some of the best odds of winning a $2 million top prize you will see in the lottery industry (1:227,497.50), and we cannot wait to find out who the next DC Lottery millionaire will be."
The winner claimed the first top prize of $2 million in the $50 "Extreme 500X Fortune" scratch-off game, leaving one more left to win. There are also three out of four second-tier prizes of $50,000 and 13 out of 14 third-tier prizes of $15,000 remaining.
The overall odds of winning any prize in the game are 1 in 3.45.
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weird
DC Not anonymous/Anonymous possible via a trust or LLC. Anonymous question is not directly answered on lottery website. "In the District of Columbia, specific lottery winner information is public record." However, a Powerball Jackpot win was claimed via a LLC in 2009. Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/04/AR2009050402008.html
Interesting and love the costume. So you can wear a costume and your name will not be mentioned when your photo is taken but your name will be in the public record??? So her name will eventually end up in the list of winners???
Congrats on your win.
The costume and glasses might be provided by the DC lottery. A lot of winners wear them.
https://dclottery.com/winner-spotlight
As for remaining anonymous, it sounds like yes and no. Name, photo, etc are required, but it has a box you can check for Designator. Read the notice on the claim form.
https://dclottery.com/sites/default/files/2020-12/DC-Lottery-Claim-Form-12-16-20-digital.pdf
I doubt the DC lottery or any lottery provides costumes. I noticed some winners are listed with an initial only for their last name and sometimes not. It pays to be an informed player.
I assume that claim form allows one to designate another person as the winner.
You need to go down a few more pages. Do you really think it's a coincidence that so many different winners showed up to collect their prize wearing the same costume as the winner in the article? They have first and last names starting in June 2024.
https://dclottery.com/winner-spotlight/charge-nurse
https://dclottery.com/winner-spotlight/miah-g
https://dclottery.com/winner-spotlight/karen-m
https://dclottery.com/winner-spotlight
https://dclottery.com/winner-spotlight/twin-win
https://dclottery.com/winner-spotlight/latasha-b
https://dclottery.com/winner-spotlight/tonya-h
https://dclottery.com/winner-spotlight/dee-dee-e
https://dclottery.com/winner-spotlight/hollis-g
https://dclottery.com/winner-spotlight/cancun-bound
https://dclottery.com/winner-spotlight/manuel-c-0
https://dclottery.com/winner-spotlight/tasia-g
If you look at the winners spotlight, in 2025, some are listed with first name only or first name and last name initial or a descriptive word.
Some are wearing a hat and or covering their face. Again, someone possibly copying a costume is meaningless and no proof the lottery is handing out disguises. It could be photoshopped by the lottery after the fact.
I find it bizarre that this "costume " option would not be offered to everyone which is my concern.
It might be something for LP to look into.
It could be optional for the winner to wear it or not since not everyone is.
The most recent spotlight with full names is July and June 2024. Here ya go. Like I said you didn't go down enough pages.
https://dclottery.com/winner-spotlight/asibi-carnegie
https://dclottery.com/winner-spotlight/jeff-smith
https://dclottery.com/winner-spotlight/michael-wise
https://dclottery.com/winner-spotlight/linda-gross
Yes designator is in the claim form but most people don't know what that means. So, they would not know to try and stay anonymous when claiming their prize money