PORTLAND, OR – A Powerball player in Oregon struck it rich after Saturday night’s drawing, netting a massive $1.33 billion jackpot. The drawing was delayed by over three hours due to necessary “pre-draw procedures,” but the wait was certainly worth it for the lucky winner.
The winning numbers for the night were 22, 27, 44, 52, 69, with the red Powerball being 9. The new billionaire now faces a choice between receiving the $1.33 billion prize spread out over 29 years or opting for a one-time lump sum of $621.1 million.
This win marks the fourth largest in Powerball history and makes the winner the sixth person from Oregon to claim the grand prize. The last time an Oregonian won the Powerball jackpot was in June 2018, as per the state lottery’s records.
Details about the location of the ticket purchase or the identity of the winner remain unknown. However, Oregon law mandates the disclosure of lottery winners’ names. The winner has 60 days from the date of the drawing to claim their prize.
The results of the drawing were delayed due to a participating lottery requiring additional time to complete mandatory pre-draw procedures. These procedures are in place to ensure the security and integrity of the Powerball game. All tickets sold nationwide must be verified against two separate computer systems before the numbers can be drawn.
Despite the delay causing some backlash on social media, it’s not the first time a Powerball drawing has been postponed. In November 2022, a drawing was delayed for 10 hours, resulting in Edwin Castro becoming the largest winner in Powerball history with a $2.04 billion prize.
The last Powerball jackpot was won on January 1 in Michigan, ending a streak of 40 consecutive drawings without a winner. The Michigan player won an $842 million grand prize, marking the eighth-largest jackpot in history at the time.