Mystery surrounds Powerball player who won $1.33B jackpot in Oregon after delays
A mystery Powerball player in Oregon who won a staggering $1.3 billion jackpot came forward to claim their prize after ending a winless streak that stretched more than three months and was plagued by delays.
The winner, however, will not be named until Oregon Lottery officials can take proper security measures to ensure the safety of the lotto player and their billion-dollar-plus payout.
The single ticket, which matched all six numbers drawn to win the jackpot, was sold off at a Plaid Pantry convenience store in a Portland neighborhood, Oregon Lottery said in a statement.
“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.”
“No one in Oregon has ever won a prize on this scale, and it’s a very exciting for our staff and players.”
Until the latest drawing, no one had won Powerball’s top prize since New Year’s Day, amounting to 41 consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner — tying a streak set twice before in 2022 and 2021.
The drawing, too, was marred by a delay of more than three hours after a participating lottery needed “additional time to complete required pre-draw procedures.”
“Powerball game rules require that every single ticket sold nationwide be checked and verified against two different computer systems before the winning numbers are drawn,” said a statement from Powerball explaining the delay.
“This is done to ensure that every ticket sold for the Powerball drawing has been accounted for and has an equal chance to win. Tonight, we have one jurisdiction that needs extra time to complete that pre-draw process.”
The $1.326 billion prize ranks as the eighth largest in US lottery history.
The current jackpot has a cash value of $621 million if the winner chooses to take a lump sum, or $1.33 billion paid over 29 years.
The winning numbers drawn were: 22, 27, 44, 52, 69 and the red Powerball 9.