Person comes forward to claim 1.3 billion dollar Powerball jackpot in Oregon
9 April 2024, 07:44
Oregon Lottery is working with the person in a process that involves security measures and vetting.
A person with a ticket matching all six Powerball numbers in Saturday’s 1.3 billion dollar (£1.049 billion) jackpot has come forward to claim the prize, Oregon officials said.
The lottery ticket was purchased at a Plaid Pantry convenience store in the north-east part of the city, Oregon Lottery said in a statement.
Oregon Lottery is working with the person in a process that involves security measures and vetting that will take time before a winner is announced.
“This is an unprecedented jackpot win for Oregon Lottery,” Oregon Lottery director Mike Wells said in the statement.
“We’re taking every precaution to verify the winner before awarding the prize money.”
The jackpot has a cash value of 621 million dollars (£490 million) if the winner chooses to take a lump sum rather than an annuity paid over 30 years, with an immediate payout followed by 29 annual instalments.
The prize is subject to federal taxes and state taxes in Oregon.
The prize was the fourth largest Powerball jackpot in history and the eighth largest among US jackpot games, according to the Oregon Lottery.
The largest US lottery jackpot won was 2.04 billion dollars (£1.61 billion) in California in 2022.
“Plaid Pantry is thrilled to learn that one of our 104 Oregon stores sold the 1.3 billion dollar Powerball ticket,” Plaid Pantry president and CEO Jonathan Polonsky said in the statement.
Outside the store on Monday evening, Mimi Musser, of Beaverton, said she buys lottery tickets almost daily and wanted to stop by the store that sold the winning lottery ticket.
“I’m just so happy that finally Oregon won the big jackpot because it’s always on the East Coast,” Ms Musser said.
“Now that Oregon won it … there’s more hope for Oregon. Maybe we’ll win it again.”
