A Port Orchard grocery run quietly turned into a life-changing payday when a shopper picked up a Mega Millions ticket at the Safeway on Bethel Road and walked out with a six-figure win. The ticket for Friday’s drawing matched four white balls plus the Mega Ball, a combination normally worth $10,000. Thanks to a 10x Megaplier, that haul jumped to $100,000. The lucky buyer has not been publicly identified, but Washington’s Lottery says the player “is walking away with a lot more.”
According to the Tacoma News Tribune, Washington’s Lottery confirmed that the ticket was sold for the June 26 draw at the Safeway at 3355 Southeast Bethel Road in Port Orchard. Officials told the paper the winner hit four white balls and the Mega Ball, then multiplied the standard prize tenfold with the game’s 10x Megaplier. As the lottery spokesperson put it, “They’re walking away with a lot more.”
Where the ticket was sold
Washington's Lottery lists the winning ticket as being purchased at Safeway, 3355 Southeast Bethel Road in Port Orchard. The retailer appears in the lottery’s winners database among stores that have recently sold winning tickets. Local shoppers know the Bethel Road Safeway as a busy stop on the south side of Port Orchard, close to area services and the Kitsap Way corridor.
Numbers, odds and the next drawing
The official winning numbers for Friday’s Mega Millions draw were 5, 13, 30, 33 and 52, with Mega Ball 6, according to Mega Millions. No one matched all six numbers, so the jackpot rolled over. As of June 29, the estimated top prize had climbed to about $511 million with a $231 million cash option, as reported by the Tacoma News Tribune. The odds of hitting that full jackpot sit at roughly 1 in 290,472,336, which helps explain why matching four white balls and the Mega Ball suddenly looks pretty good.
How winners claim their prize
Per Washington's Lottery, any $100,000 prize has to be claimed in person at a lottery office, not at the store where the ticket was sold. Winners have 180 days from the drawing date to file a claim. The lottery advises players to sign the back of the ticket right away, bring valid photo ID and required tax paperwork, and call ahead to schedule an appointment so staff can walk them through withholding, forms and payout timing.
The 24/7 helpline at 1-800-522-4700 and online tools from the National Council on Problem Gambling are available for anyone who needs support around gambling. Whether you are the one holding the winning ticket or just tossing a couple of bucks at the next drawing, it is worth keeping taxes, paperwork and the 180-day claim window in mind before the celebration really kicks in.
