Washington County native wins big on 'Press Your Luck'

When Emily Dowler was in kindergarten, she thought she wanted to be a game show host when she grew up.

Well, the Washington County native and Pittsburgh resident became a big winner on a game show instead.

Dowler brought home more than $400,000 in cash and prizes on the season premiere of ABC’s “Press Your Luck” (which you can watch here). That haul set the record for most money won on “Press Your Luck.”

“I am incredibly thankful and grateful to have had the opportunity to play on ‘Press Your Luck’ and to have also set the show’s winning record is such an honor,” she said. “I am a huge fan of game shows and to play on one has been on my bucket list, making the whole experience such a dream.”

Dowler won the first two rounds, with $24,896 in cash and prizes that included a trip to NASA’s space camp and a Dior watch, to advance to the five potential bonus rounds.

In the first three bonus rounds, she built up $186,457 before it was wiped out by a Whammy.

Three spins in the fourth round gave her $94,500, which she could have taken home. But she had other thoughts:

“I came here all the way from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; the Steel City. A yinzer never quits,” she said. “I’m gonna press my luck!”

In the final round, she added $100,000 (plus a spin), a Tesla Model X (valued at $160,890), $50,000 and $25,000, bringing her bonus round total to $430,390.

All told, Dowler left the show with $455,286 in cash and prizes.

“Watching the show back was such a wild and exciting ride as I didn’t realize how intense and risky each additional spin was, in the moment, with a possible Whammy appearance at any time,” she said, “but it was so much fun and an experience I will never forget!”