Powerball jackpot could mean $7.6 million back to Oregon, lottery officials say
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- For the first time since one single ticket sold in Portland turned out to be the Powerball winner of a $1.3 billion jackpot, Oregon Lottery officials have revealed that the winnings will have a positive effect on the state's finances, too.
The winning ticket -- 22, 27, 44, 52, 69 and the red Powerball 9 -- was sold at the Plaid Pantry at 6060 NE Columbia Boulevard. Lottery officials, along with Plaid Pantry President/CEO Jonathan Polonsky, shared that $7.6 million will be transferred back to the state once the winnings are finalized.
"We are incredibly excited that this happened in Oregon," Oregon Lottery spokesperson Melanie Mesaros said. "This money will fund public programs such as education, state parks, economic development, veteran services, and more."
One person has already come forward to claim the prize, but the "process involves security measures and vetting that will take time before a winner can be announced."
This Plaid Pantry is close to the Portland International Airport and is along a trucking route through the city. Lottery officials declined to confirm or deny if the person who came forward is an Oregonian.
The process to verify includes going through video surveillance and checking the person's identification.
"We've never had a jackpot this large in Oregon won here," Mesaros said. "There's a lot of moving pieces in terms of, like, we have to work with the multi-State Lottery Association to be able to get the money transferred to Oregon in order to pay the winner."
The finalization of the jackpot will also come with a $100,000 bonus for Plaid Pantry.
Polonsky said that money will go into the bonus fund for the staff at the store.
"Portland's got some challenges right now, so it's really great to have something positive to talk about," he said.
This is not the first time Plaid Pantry has had a big winner. In fact, 3 large prizes have been sold at Oregon stores since March 2023, including one for $3.3 million.
This was the fourth largest Powerball jackpot in history, and the eight largest among U.S. jackpot games. The jackpot has a cash value of $621 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 installments. The prize is subject to federal taxes, while many states also tax lottery winnings.
Stay with KOIN 6 News as this story develops.
The Associated Press contributed to this report