Portland, Oregon – A lucky individual has stepped forward to claim the monumental $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot prize, Oregon officials announced on Monday. The life-changing lottery ticket was purchased at a Plaid Pantry convenience store in the northeast part of the city, as confirmed by the Oregon Lottery.
Oregon Lottery officials are diligently working with the winner to undergo the necessary security protocols and vetting procedures before officially announcing their identity. Oregon Lottery Director Mike Wells expressed the significance of this historic win, stating, “This is an unprecedented jackpot victory for Oregon Lottery. We are proceeding with caution to ensure the legitimacy of the winner before disbursing the prize money.”
In the event that the winner opts for a lump sum payment, the $1.3 billion prize holds a cash value of $621 million. The winner also has the option of receiving the full amount through 30 annual installments, although federal and state taxes in Oregon will apply.
This Powerball jackpot now stands as the fourth largest in the history of the game and the eighth largest among all U.S. jackpot games, according to the Oregon Lottery’s records. The largest lottery jackpot ever won in the United States was an astounding $2.04 billion in California in 2022.
Upon learning that the winning ticket had been sold at one of their 104 Oregon stores, Plaid Pantry President and CEO Jonathan Polonsky expressed the company’s elation. Meanwhile, outside the store where the winning ticket was sold, residents like Mimi Musser of Beaverton conveyed their excitement and optimism, with Musser noting that the West Coast rarely sees such massive wins, bringing a sense of hope and possibility to Oregonians.