Salem, Ore. – Tucked away with a stack of other tickets in a Tupperware container was this year’s $1 million Raffle ticket. Leslie Carr, 52, of Portland claimed the prize on Monday after she brought her pile of tickets to the retailer where she buys them – the Fred Meyer in Happy Valley.
“I had no idea I was the winner,” said Carr, who works as a medical receptionist. “If it weren’t for the billion dollar Powerball winner making news, I would have forgot. We don’t check our tickets.”
After scanning a few dozen tickets for other draw games in the store, the last one was the winning Raffle ticket, drawn on March 15. When the machine came up with a message that she needed to go an Oregon Lottery office, she asked a staff member at the store to double check.
“I heard him say, ‘Oh, I can’t cash this because your prize is worth over $1,000,’” she said. “That’s when I started getting butterflies.”
Carr plans to use the money to pay off the mortgage on the home she shares with her husband, calling it “a dream come true.” A new truck to replace the one she currently drives with a broken windshield is also on her wish list, along with a vacation to Hawaii.
Carr said she regularly plays the annual Raffle and has never won. Prizes for the Raffle include the $1 million top prize, along with 300 prizes of $500, and 1,500 prizes of $100. The Raffle offers the best odds of any Oregon Lottery game to win $1 million – 1 in 250,000. Overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 138.8. The Oregon Lottery’s Raffle game went on sale December 31, 2023, and all 250,000 tickets were sold out by March 8, 2024.
The Oregon Lottery reminds players to always sign the back of their Lottery tickets, regardless of the game. In the event of winning a jackpot, they should consult with a trusted financial planner or similar professional to develop a plan for their winnings.
Since the Oregon Lottery began selling tickets on April 25, 1985, it has earned nearly $15.5 billion for economic development, public education, outdoor school, state parks, veteran services, and watershed enhancements. For more information on the Oregon Lottery visit www.oregonlottery.org.
Salem, Ore. – The lucky ticket matching all six Powerball numbers in Saturday’s $1.326 billion Powerball jackpot was sold at the Plaid Pantry at 6060 NE Columbia Boulevard in Portland. That store will receive a bonus of $100,000 for selling the jackpot winner.
Additionally, Oregon Lottery is working with a ticket holder who came forward on Monday to claim the prize. The process involves security measures and vetting that will take time before a winner can be announced.
“This is an unprecedented jackpot win for Oregon Lottery,” said Oregon Lottery Director Mike Wells. “We're taking every precaution to verify the winner before awarding the prize money, which will take time.”
This was the fourth largest Powerball jackpot in history, and the eight largest among U.S. jackpot games.
Plaid Pantry has sold other large Oregon Lottery jackpot prizes, including a $3.3 million Megabucks jackpot last summer.
“Plaid Pantry is thrilled to learn that one of our 104 Oregon stores sold the $1.3 billion dollar Powerball ticket,” said Plaid Pantry President and CEO Jonathan Polonsky. “This store is one of our newest and most loved stores. Proceeds from the Oregon Lottery fund many programs that benefit everyone in the state, and we’ve been a proud partner with the Oregon Lottery since the very beginning. Congratulations to our lucky customer from our over 700 Plaid associates!”
Media are invited to a briefing Tuesday with representatives of Oregon Lottery and Plaid Pantry available to answer questions.
WHEN: Tuesday, April 9, 12:30 p.m.
WHERE: Parking lot of Plaid Pantry at 6060 NE Columbia Boulevard, Portland
WHAT: External Communications Program Manager Melanie Mesaros and Plaid Pantry President and CEO Jonathan Polonsky will be available to answer questions and media can obtain video/b-roll of retailer.
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Salem, Ore. – A Powerball ticket worth $1.326 billion was sold in Portland and is the fourth largest Powerball jackpot in the game’s history. The ticket for Saturday’s drawing was purchased on April 6.
“I want to congratulate the winner on this life changing moment. No one in Oregon has ever won a prize on this scale, and it’s very exciting for our staff and players,” said Oregon Lottery Director Mike Wells. “Even if you aren’t holding the winning ticket, all of our players support programs and services statewide that receive Lottery dollars.”
The winner has a year to come forward and claim their prize. Per state law, players in Oregon, with few exceptions, cannot remain anonymous. The largest Powerball prize previously won in Oregon was a $340 million jackpot in 2005. The last time a Powerball jackpot was won in the state was in 2018, when a Salem man won $150.4 million.
Approximately a third of sales from the game will be returned to state beneficiaries to support economic development, education, veteran services, state parks and more.
Retailers who sell lottery tickets also earn commissions from the boost in ticket sales and bonus payments for lower tier wins. For instance, an Oregon retailer who sells a $1 million ticket would earn a $10,000 bonus.
Saturday’s jackpot was the eighth largest among U.S. lottery jackpot games. The jackpot was previously won on New Year’s Day in Michigan with a ticket that won a $842.4 million jackpot. Powerball is a multi-state jackpot operated by 44 states, plus the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
The Oregon Lottery recommends that you always sign the back of your ticket to ensure you can claim your prize. In the event of winning a jackpot, players should consult with a trusted financial planner or similar professional to develop a plan for their winnings.
Since the Oregon Lottery began selling tickets on April 25, 1985, it has earned nearly $15.5 billion for economic development, public education, outdoor school, state parks, veteran services, and watershed enhancements. For more information on the Oregon Lottery visit www.oregonlottery.org.