Here are some of the winners of the Oregon Lottery so far in 2019. All text from the Oregon Lottery. Read up on 2018 winners here.
September 13, 2019 - Salem, Ore. – Each time Stu MacDonald of Bend purchased his weekly Oregon's Game Megabucks ticket, his wife, Claudia, would say, "Get the winning ticket."
But when Stu went to purchase his tickets on Saturday, Sept. 7, Claudia forgot to tell Stu to get the winning ticket.
And Stu bought a ticket that was worth $4.6 million anyway.
“I am a very lucky guy,” MacDonald said. “I have survived cancer twice and here I am. This is amazing.”
MacDonald won the Oregon’s Game Megabucks jackpot on a quick pick ticket he purchased at Ashley’s Café on Northeast 3rd Street in Bend. MacDonald opted to take the bulk sum payment of $2.3 million, and after taxes took home $1.56 million.
"We are thrilled to learn that we sold a Megabucks jackpot,” said Tezra Kong, Director of Operations for Ashley’s. “We are excited for the team who sold the ticket. A big congratulations to our guests on their windfall. Some of the seller’s bonus will go back to the team that strive to delight our guests every day here at Ashley’s in Wagner Mall."
For selling the winning ticket Ashley’s Cafe will receive a 1-percent selling bonus of $46,000.
$100,000 Scratch-it winner
August 30, 2019 - Salem, Ore. – Nicole Zurfluh of McMinnville won $100,000 playing the Oregon Lottery $10 Dragon Riches Scratch-it she purchased in McMinnville.
Zurfluh, a mother of four who also operates a home for developmentally disabled adults, said she occasionally plays Oregon Lottery Scratch-its to unwind, and wasn’t expecting the win.
“I played and thought I won, then I checked it and my boyfriend checked it and that’s when it sunk in that we won,” she said. “We are going to put the money toward a new foster home in McMinnville. This will be a good start.”
Zurfluh took home more than $68,000 after taxes and said she will continue to play Oregon Lottery Scratch-its occasionally.
She purchased her winning ticket at the Paradise Circle K, located at 160 SW Hill Road in McMinnville.
“Sunny” Signh, owner of the store said he was taken aback when he realized his store sold the $100,000 ticket – the largest prize that he has had at that location.
“It’s great to hear when one of our customers wins on a Lottery ticket we sold them,” Signh said. “Word has gotten around and we are having an uptick in business because people think we have a lucky store.”
$3 million Mega Millions winner
August 9, 2019 - Salem, Ore. – Last week a man from Jacksonville became the fifth Oregon Lottery multimillion-dollar winner from the Southern Oregon town of a population of less than 3,000.
When Martin Oliverson of Jacksonville claimed his $3 million Mega Millions prize, he didn’t realize that since the prize wasn’t the overall jackpot, he would receive the whole amount, minus taxes. “I thought we had the choice of taking the annuity or the lump sum payment,” Oliverson said. “I was going to take the lump sum, and figured they would take half of the prize, then take taxes out. My wife had to sit down when we learned that since this isn’t the top prize, we get the entire $3 million. We won double what we thought!”
Oliverson matched five numbers, 10-24-28-33-38, but missed the Megaball of 6 with his quick pick ticket. He also added the extra $1 Megaplier option, which multiplies non-jackpot prizes. For July 30 drawing, the Megaplier drawn was X3. This turned his $1 million prize into $3 million and ties him for the largest Mega Millions winner in Oregon history. Ann Mingus of Springfield also won $3 million playing Mega Millions in January, making 2019 a very good year for Oregon Mega Millions winners.
“We are very blessed,” Oliverson said.
He was the only player to match five of five white ball numbers for the July 30 drawing. If Oliverson’s ticket had matched the Megaball number he would have won the $45 million jackpot for the July 30 drawing. The jackpot for the Friday, August 9 drawing is an estimated $60 million.
Oliverson purchased the ticket from the Jacksonville Chevron station on North 5th Street. They will receive a 1-percent selling bonus, $30,000, for selling the winning ticket. Casey Hayes, general manager, said it was great to see Lottery winners in Southern Oregon.
“This is exciting for us both locally and it’s a great deal for us,” Hayes said.
Oliverson is the latest person to join the exclusive club of Lottery winners from Jacksonville. Since 2001, there have been five jackpot winners from Jacksonville. Lottery officials have referred to the city as “Jackpot-ville.” It is the location of the largest jackpot winner in Oregon history, a $340 million Powerball prize that was claimed by the Chaney and West families in October 2005.
August 2, 2019 - Salem, Ore. – After a distinguished career in the U.S. Air Force, 94-year-old William Bowker, a former pilot, knows a thing or two about double-checking himself. In this case, double checking saved him from throwing away a $6.5 million Oregon's Game Megabucks ticket.
When Bowker's granddaughter visited, she checked his Lottery tickets; he is a regular player of the draw games with high payouts.
“She thought it was a Mega Million ticket, and started circling matching numbers on the ticket,” Bowker said. “But they were for the wrong game. I had an Oregon’s Game Megabucks ticket. She got done, and later, I thought I should double-check it before throwing it away. I am glad I did. I immediately thought — BOOM! I won!”
Turns out one line of numbers on the ticket, without a single number circled, included the winning numbers. His winning numbers were 14-32-41-43-44-47.
“You can still see where she circled the wrong numbers!” he said.
The first thing the 94 -year-old Bowker did was call a family meeting to discuss the prize and how to use it. In fact, his daughter is a tax attorney, and Bowker plans to share his prize among his family members. He opted to take the bulk sum payment of $3.25 million. After taxes he took home $2.2 million.
“I have what I need, and I’m 94,” he said. “This is a wonderful way to help my family.”
Bowker purchased the ticket at the Jackson’s Food Store on SE 82nd Ave. in Happy Valley and used quick pick numbers. His $5 ticket had 10 numbers and, in addition to the $6.5 million jackpot, he also won a free Megabucks ticket. Jackson’s officials said they were very excited about selling the winning ticket and that it’s the largest ticket they have sold in Oregon so far. The company will receive a 1-percent selling bonus totaling $65,000 for selling the winning ticket.
“Jacksons is thrilled for our customer to have won the lottery, and we are happy to be the retailer to sell the winning Oregon’s Game Megabucks ticket,” said Katrina Lemmon, advertising and promotions manager for Jacksons Food Stores. “We are especially happy to find out the winner is a retired Air Force Pilot.”
$75,000 Scratch-it winner
July 15, 2019 - Salem, Ore. – Both the clerk at Jimmyz Independence Gas & Mini Mart and Michael Baker couldn't believe what they were reading when they checked the $10 Oregon's Ultimate Winnings Scratch-it game.
“I scratched it at the store, and I thought I won $75, then $7,500 and saw $75,000 and couldn’t believe it,” Baker said. “I usually buy a few Scratch-its every now and then and I have won like $200 before, nothing like this!”
Baker’s reaction was the same as James Newbeck’s, who is the owner of Jimmyz Independence Gas & Mini Mart.
“My employees called and they kept telling me different amounts that he won,” Newbeck said. “When I came in to check, I realized we had sold a $75,000 ticket!”
Newbeck said he remodeled his gas station and mini-mart about a year ago and has only sold a winning $20,000 Raffle ticket in the past. He also said he hadn’t decided what to do with the $750 from the 1-percent selling bonus that retailers receive when they sell a winning ticket.
“This is the largest ticket we’ve sold,” he said. “We’re a small town so everybody and their brother knows that we sold it. It’s funny, we sold it almost on the anniversary of being done with the remodel.”
Baker said he was going to invest his winnings, which was $51,003 after taxes.
$1 million Mega Millions winner
June 27, 2019 - Salem, Ore. – Jose Martinez’s wife scrambled to pick up several Oregon Lottery Mega Millions tickets that almost blew out the window when she pulled down the sun visor in the couple’s car, not knowing one of those unsigned tickets was worth $1 million.
“I went on a business trip and left the tickets between the sun visor and the roof of my car,” Martinez said. “If the ticket would have flown out the window, we wouldn’t have won $1 million.”
Martinez, who lives in Beaverton and works in Hillsboro, said that he regularly stops by the S&S Market near his work. He gets something to eat and then picks up his Lottery tickets. Then puts stashes them away in the sun visor of his car.
“She told me to check the tickets in the car,” he said. “I used the Lottery’s app and the first ticket I scanned was the $1 million ticket. I really like the app now.”
Martinez said he scanned the ticket three times, then downloaded the app onto his wife’s phone and scanned it to prove to her he really won. Martinez said the couple was going to use the winnings to pay off their home. After taxes, Martinez and his wife took home $680,000.
Martinez purchased the ticket May 14, the day of the drawing. The winning Mega Million numbers were 11-59-66-67-68 and Mega Ball 18. Martinez’s ticket matched five of the six numbers.
The owners of the S&S Market in Hillsboro will receive a 1-percent selling bonus of $10,000 for selling the winning ticket. Bobby Singh, owner of the market, said in his 17 years of owning the store he hasn’t sold a ticket like that before.
“It’s amazing,” he said. “We are going to put the bonus back into our business. It’s very shocking and we are happy that one of our regular customers won.”
Dumpster diving pays off with $1,200 Keno winn after customer mistakenly left winning ticket behind
June 19, 2019 – Salem, Ore. – After an Oregon Lottery retailer sifted through a dumpster to find a lost winning ticket for one of their players, excellent customer service may have a new standard.
Last week, Mary Peabody from Portland, won $1,200 playing Keno10-spot and took her ticket to The Lucky Spot to claim her prize. Since Mary’s prize was more than $600, the prize needed to be claimed at the Oregon Lottery and in the excitement she accidentally left her unsigned ticket behind.
The next day, when she realized she had left the unsigned ticket at The Lucky Spot, the ticket was nowhere to be found. By law, Lottery tickets belong to the person who signs the back of the ticket, which is why the Oregon Lottery always urges people to sign the back of their tickets as soon as possible.
“The clerk was really upset that the ticket was lost,” Peabody said. “At that point, we thought we had lost $1,200.”
But the staff at The Lucky Spot decided they wanted to make sure the ticket was truly gone.
“I thought it might have ended up in the garbage on accident,” said Dena Thompson (above), the manager at The Lucky Spot. “I went out to see if the dumpster had been emptied and it hadn’t yet. So my staff and some of my friends started looking for the ticket.”
Thompson said she thinks they went through six different large bags of garbage before the ticket was found, intact.
“I couldn’t help thinking that this was crazy, we found it!” she said. “We didn’t have a phone number for Mary, so we held onto it until she came in again. I am so proud of our staff for being so honest. Anyone could have found that ticket and signed the back and claimed the prize.”
“You don’t expect people to do that for you,” said Peabody (above). “She was almost in tears when she told me they found the ticket. The first thing we did was sign it!”
“The funny part is that this all happened during the Feast of Saint Anthony,” Larry Peabody, Mary’s husband of 60 years. “He is the patron saint of lost things.”
2 $100,000 Scratch-it winners in Eugene area
June 14, 2019 – Salem, Ore. – The sun is a little brighter for two Eugene-area women when both won $100,000 prizes playing Scratch-its this past weekend.
Anya Moedl, of Eugene, won $100,000 after playing a $10 Emerald 10s Scratch-it at the 7-Eleven along River Road in Eugene.
“I buy Scratch-its every so often, but usually they are $2 or $3 tickets,” she said. “I splurged and bought a $10 one, and I wasn’t expecting to win that much!”
Moedl said she played the ticket at home and found out Friday and had to wait over the weekend for the Lottery offices to open Monday.
“I was pretty excited all weekend,” she said. “I barely slept all weekend long, I kept thinking about what to do with the money.”
Moedl said she was going to use the money to save for an education fund for her son and daughter. She also said she may look at some property but was going to be careful with the prize.
There is still one $100,000 jackpot-winning Scratch-it available for the Emerald 10s Scratch-it game.
The same weekend, Eugene-area player Elena Delgadillo, also won $100,000 playing a Scratch-it.
“Scratch-its are my hobby and I never thought I would win this much!” Delgadillo said. “I just had a feeling I would win, and I did!”
Delgadillo purchased her ticket, a $10 $100,000 Jackpot Scratch-it, from the Oakridge Market after she got off work. Her winning ticket was the the last jackpot-winning ticket for that game.
“Miracles happen,” she said, fighting back tears. “I have four kids and two are in college, this is really going to help with their education.”
$32,217 Keno winner
May 29, 2019 – Salem, Ore. – A trip to Europe had modest beginnings for Lindy Lindbloom of Eugene when she stopped off at a Jackson's to cash in a Keno ticket that turned out to be $32,217 prize.
By matching 8 of 8 numbers, Lindbloom won $15,000 plus the 8-spot rolling jackpot of $19,217. She's now planning to use the money for the annual trip she takes with her girlfriends.
"When we hit big birthdays we try to do something special," she said. "When we turned 50 we went to Italy. This year we are turning 65 so we are going to do a riverboat cruise around Europe. I didn't think I was going to have the money to go this time, now I do!"
"I normally don't play at that Jacksons," Lindbloom said. "I had a ticket that was worth $2, so I stopped to cash that in and then bought another ticket with the winnings. I didn't stick around to watch the game, I did my shopping and went home."
When Lindbloom got home, she remembered she had the ticket, looked up the Keno numbers on her phone, and realized she had won.
"I had no idea how much," she said. "I went to the store to scan it, and when it said to go to Lottery Headquarters I knew I had something. I ended up screaming in the car!"
Lindbloom said she was also going to help her daughter with her University of Oregon student loans.
"I'm happily in shock!" she said.
40-year friends both win video poker jackpots on same day
May 24, 2019 – Salem, Ore. – Jennifer Jones and Lowell Hill, both of Hillsboro, have been friends for 40 years. The two friends like playing Video Lottery, and for the first time they both won jackpots on the same day.
“We were out visiting friends and decided to stop to play Video Lottery,” Jennifer said. “We play two separate machines and will share money sometimes.”
Lowell was first to hit a $1,500 jackpot when two friends stopped at a Dotty’s. “I put in $5 and on the second spin playing Big City 5s, I start seeing lights and it’s not sinking in what’s going on,” Lowell said. “It was exciting.”
The couple then went and visited other friends and decided to have dinner later in the day at Elmer’s. While waiting for their meal, it was Jennifer’s turn to win, after she put $5 in and hit a jackpot.
I couldn’t believe it when I won $1,500!” Jennifer said.
Jennifer said she was going to pay bills with the winnings, while Lowell said his winnings were going for a newer car, and parts for his classic car.
“We had a lot of fun, we should do this more often!” Jennifer said. “The winning that is!”
$3.2 million Megabucks winner
∫May 20, 2019 - Salem, Ore. – Mark Bennett of Eugene hadn't even won so much as free ticket while playing Oregon's Game Megabucks – until last week when his monthly ticket purchase was worth $3.2 million.
“I like the game, but I had never won anything,” Bennett said. “I always get the 26 draws, then put the ticket away until it is up and get another one.” Players can purchase Oregon’s Game Megabucks tickets for up to 26 draw dates.
Bennett said he purchased a ticket in April from the Jasper’s on Coburg Road in Eugene, and put it away, until recently when he couldn’t sleep. Officials from Jasper’s said it was their first big win at that location.
"To hear one of our guests won the Megabucks jackpot was incredible news!” said Tezra Kong, Director of Operations for Jasper’s. “This will be something our team will be talking about for years to come. We are very excited for our lucky guest, and his good fortune. We look forward to sharing some of the seller's bonus with the team that provided the exceptional guest service at Sheldon Jasper's."
For selling the winning ticket Jasper’s will receive a 1-percent selling bonus, $32,000.
Bennett took the opportunity to bring the ticket to the Oregon Lottery for validation before he claimed his prize. A little-used option allows players to bring in a winning jackpot ticket to Lottery headquarters to have the ticket validated. The Oregon Lottery will then hold the winning ticket up to 60 days while the winner determines to the best option for them to claim the jackpot.
A few days later Bennett came back to the Lottery office after talking with his accountant. He took the bulk sum payment of $1.6 million. After taxes he took home $1.08 million.
“I am going to use the money to set up education funds for my grandchildren,” Bennett said.
$10.4 million Megabucks jackpot winner
April 10, 2019 - Salem, Ore. – The question of what to have for dinner Monday night, turned into a much larger question Tuesday morning when a Portland man checked his Oregon's Game Megabucks ticket.
Grant Brightman of Portland stopped at his local Albertson’s store to get dinner and on impulse, purchased a $4 Oregon’s Game Megabuck ticket that turned out to be worth $10.4 million.
“I normally don’t play,” Brightman said. “I had $4 in cash, and I normally don’t carry much cash. I saw the Lottery machine and the jackpot and figured why not?”
The next morning, while enjoying his coffee, he checked his numbers and had a big surprise.
“When he called for me his voice wasn’t normal,” his wife Macie said. “I knew something was up. I didn’t know it was beyond awesome!”
Grant said he kept wondering if he was “hallucinating” after he checked the ticket using the Oregon Lottery website. In fact, the couple checked the ticket several times before driving to Salem to claim the prize. They took the one-time payment and after taxes took home $3.536 million.
$150,000 Powerball winner
April 16, 2019 -- Salem, Ore. – As a former public works director, Michael Faught can tell you the Ph of municipal wastewater, or the perfect angle a roadway needs to be to deal with stormwater run-off. After winning $150,000 playing Powerball, he can also tell you what a Power Play is.
Faught and his wife, who now live in Lebanon, were on a road trip with their travel trailer when they stopped to get Powerball tickets at a Food for Less in Medford which turned into a big win.
“The customer service clerk wanted to know if I wanted to purchase the $3 per line ticket,” Faught said. “I had no clue what she was talking about as we rarely purchase lottery tickets, so I just said yes. That decision ended up tripling our win from $50,000 to $150,000!”
Faught ended up matching four numbers and the Powerball for the Saturday, March 23, drawing.
Since he purchased Power Play multiplier option, and the multiplier drawn for that drawing was three, Faught tripled his prize for the $1 extra he paid. The winning numbers were 24-25-52-60-66 with a Powerball of 05. The jackpot for that drawing was $625 million. Faught said winning $150,000 was surreal when he checked the ticket at a gas station on his way home and couldn’t believe his luck.
“My wife and I were excited, elated, giddy and soooo happy!” Faught said. “We feel so blessed that we were able to pay off some major bills as a result of the win.”
Faught also said the couple was talking to a financial advisor and were going to put new wood floors in their Lebanon home. In addition, he said he may do some minor upgrades to his motorcycle. The family had already planned a trip to Disneyland, and Faught said they used some of the prize to “enhance” the trip.
Seaquist and his wife Shirley were the top prize winners of the 2019 Oregon Lottery Raffle.
St. Patrick's Day Raffle $1 million winner
March 20, 2019 - Salem, Ore. – Steve Seaquist got pinched a lot on St. Patrick's Day, but it wasn't because he wasn't wearing green.
“I checked my Raffle ticket Saturday night and realized I’d won,” Seaquist said. “I kept asking my wife to pinch me, because I thought I was dreaming.”
Seaquist and his wife Shirley were the top prize winners of the 2019 Oregon Lottery Raffle, winning the $1 million prize after purchasing four tickets. After taxes the couple took home $680,000.
“We spread the tickets out, so we buy them at the beginning, the middle and the end,” he said.
Seaquist purchased the winning ticket at the Newberg Safeway. Seaquist and his wife had talked with a financial planner and attorney before claiming the prize, following the advice the Lottery gives to all jackpot winners.
“We are going to put it into savings and see what happens,” Seaquist said. “We want to wait 12 months before doing anything. We are going to keep it for our retirement, we are going to help our kids and donate some to our church and the Portland Mission.”
The winning number was 098200. There are a total of 1801 winning tickets, with $1 million prize, 300 prizes of $500 and 1,500 prizes of $100.
$50,000 Powerball winner but just one number away from millions
March 11, 2019 - Salem, Ore. – Robert Staley of Myrtle Point still can't believe he was just one number away from hitting a Powerball jackpot.
“Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to win $50,000, but it really messes with you that you were one number away,” Staley said laughing.
Staley uses his family’s birthdays for his numbers and has been playing them for years. He purchased the ticket at McKay’s Market in Myrtle Point.
“We hit all the birthdays but the number we missed was a 32, hard to win when there isn’t a month with 32 days in it!” he said. “But they hit and so we will take it!”
The winning numbers on the Feb. 23 drawing were 04-06-14-20-32- with a Powerball of 13. Staley hit all the numbers but the 32 to win $50,000. He also won $4.
Staley, who re-roofs houses on the coast, said he was going to pay off his house with the money.
“It will be nice to owe nothing on my house, that will be great,” he said.
$100,000 Scratch-It winner in Klamath Falls
March 4, 2019 - Salem, Ore. – William Blackwell Jr. thinks he is winning when he gets his walk in at Moore Park in Klamath Falls. But not only did he get his walk, but also $100,000 after stopping for something to drink and an Oregon Lottery Scratch-it.
“I walk every day at Moore Park and I stopped on the way to get a Lottery ticket,” Blackwell said. “When I stopped at the gas station, I thought I should get some tickets. I got two of the Cash Attack tickets, if I hadn’t gotten that second ticket, I wouldn’t have won.”
Blackwell said that he has won smaller amounts playing Scratch-its before from the gas station and store on Oregon Avenue, but nothing this large.
“I just put maroon carpet in my home,” he said. “The winnings are going toward me rolling out the red carpet!”
Blackwell also said he was going to help his mom and buy a better car with the money.
“This still hasn’t sunk in that I won,” he said. “All I know is I am spreading the wealth. I am going to help my mom and give the clerk who sold me the tickets a tip.”
Four $1,000 a week for life winners in Win for Life game
February 13, 2019 - Salem, Ore. – A recently retired Fairview man won the top prize of the Win for Life game and will take home $1,000 per week for life.
Robert East of Fairview will now receive $1,000 per week for life, thanks to his Oregon Lottery win. He matched all four numbers for the Monday, Feb. 11 drawing. He purchased the ticket at CJ’s Pub on Sandy Boulevard in Portland. East said he is a regular player of Lottery jackpot games, and was very surprised when he realized he won.
“I was at home and Googled the results from my phone,” he said. “I looked at the ticket again, checked the date and double checked it. Then I immediately called my best friend.”
There was a three-year drought from 2014-2017 with no top prize winner in the Win for Life game. However, already in 2019, four of the top prizes have been awarded.
It started when East won the top prize. He said he will use the prize for retirement and purchased the ticket at CJs Pub in Fairview.
Then in March it was an incredibly lucky month for Win for Life players, with two top prizes being awarded within three days of each other. On March 5, Sondra Lundy of Springfield claimed her top prize from a ticket she purchased at The Pour House Tavern.
Three days later, on March 8, Steven Henning of Eugene hit the third Win for Life prize. He purchased his ticket from Dari Mart in Eugene. All three winners opted to take their jackpots as weekly, $1,000 prizes, for the rest of their lives.
“If this keeps up, Win for Life is going to be the game to play in 2019,” said Patrick Johnson, Lottery spokesperson. “Normally there is a Win for Life top prize winner that comes every now and then, but sometimes the random nature of the Lottery will surprise you, just ask our winners!”
Then, the lottery said in April, Brian Schachtsick of Stayton was the latest Win for Life winner and hit the top prize for $1,000 a week for life. He purchased the ticket at the Stayton Market and Deli.
Victor Salazar and his wife, Lizeth Salazar Garcia
$45,072 Keno winner
Feb. 8, 2019 – Salem, Ore. – When Victor Salazar realized he won $45,072 playing Keno, he immediately thought about his dad.
"My father needs a liver transplant and insurance won't cover it," Salazar said. "This money is going to help him pay for the transplant he needs."
Salazar won the money while working at the San Blas Family Mexican Restaurant in Molalla during another fundraiser to raise money for cancer treatments, he said.
"I saw people playing and started to fill out the play slip and then had to give it to my wife to finish because we were really busy," he said. "It was karaoke night and she finished the slip and played."
It wasn't until later in the evening when the Silverton couple realized they had won the Keno 8-spot prize.
"At 10 p.m. she reminded me we had the ticket, and when we scanned it, it said something weird," he said. "We knew we won more than $600, and when we went online and checked the numbers we were shocked!"
Salazar said he isn't normally a Keno player, but thought he would try it since so many people were playing that night.
"Whatever my dad needs we are going to cover it," he said. "This came at a very good time."
Players who play the Keno 8-spot have a chance at the bonus, which increases each game no one matches all eight numbers. In Salazar's case, the bonus had increased to $30,072. For matching all eight numbers, Salazar's base prize was $15,000, making Salazar's total win $45,072.
Robert and Christina Jones of Creswell
$32,000 Keno winner
January 31, 2019 – Salem, Ore. – Hanging out with friends at a local watering hole earned Robert Jones of Creswell more than $32,000 playing Keno 8-spot.
Jones went to the Roundup Tavern to have a fun afternoon and ended up winning $32,012 while joking around with friends at the bar.
“I go down there to hang out because I have a lot of friends there,” Jones said. “I usually harass everyone. We have a lot of fun. I was watching the numbers as I was playing and missed them, I knew I hit six of eight.”
After having the bartender check the numbers, Jones realized he hit the 8-spot bonus. At first, he thought he won $27,000, but after coming into the Lottery office, he realized his prize was more than $32,000.
Players who play the Keno 8-spot have a chance at the rolling jackpot bonus, which increases each game no one matches all eight numbers. In Jones’ case, the bonus had increased to $17,012. With the base prize of $15,000, making his total prize worth $32,012.
While claiming the ticket his wife, Christina, said she was going on a shopping spree – prompting a laugh from Robert.
“No, no shopping spree,” the retired beer distributor said. “We have a trip to Palm Springs planned, so some of the money will go to that, and we will save the rest.”
Robert said that he lives on a golf course and plays a lot of golf, and the prize will help with greens fees.
“We had a fun day at the Lottery,” he said.
Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance
$3 million Mega Millions winner
Jan. 16, 2019 - Salem, Ore. – When Ann Mingus saw the billboard with the large jackpots for Powerball and Mega Millions, she did what many people do, started daydreaming about how much she would need to take care of her family and retire.
“As I am driving along I am doing the math in my head, and I thought that $3 million would do it,” Mingus said. “Turns out, I had the $3 million ticket!”
Mingus, from Springfield, won the largest Mega Millions prize in Oregon since the game came to the state in 2010. Mingus realized she won when she saw news reporting that someone purchased a winning ticket in Cottage Grove and checked her numbers. She didn’t tell anyone about her win, not even family members for a few weeks, and immediately contacted an attorney to come up with a plan. She also hired a financial planner to assist her in managing the prize.
Mingus purchased the ticket at the Cottage Grove Safeway from a Lottery To Go machine; the blue vending machines that offer Scratch-its and other games.
“I like to use the machine then I don’t have to wait in line at customer service,” she said. “A lot of people don’t know you can buy Mega Millions and other tickets from them.”
Officials from Safeway said they were excited that they sold the largest Mega Millions jackpot in Oregon history.
“We can’t believe our local Cottage Grove Safeway sold the winning $3 million Mega Millions ticket,” said Jill McGinnis, Director of Communications and Public Affairs with Safeway. “We’re so happy for our customer! It just goes to show, you never know who’s going to win – it could be you the next time you’re picking up dinner!”
There are 110 stores in Oregon and a store in Grants Pass also recently sold a $250,000 Scratch-it ticket, which was claimed last week.
The winning Mega Millions numbers for the Nov. 30 draw were 25-28-40-43-63 and Mega Ball of 19. To win $1 million, players must match five of five numbers without the Mega Ball. Mingus won $3 million by selected the Megaplier option, which increases non-jackpot prizes by 2, 3, 4 or 5 times. This option costs an extra $1.
In the case of Mingus’ ticket the Megaplier was 3, meaning she won $3 million!
Mega Millions is one of two multi-state lottery games the Oregon Lottery offers. You can play Mega Millions in 44 states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Each play costs $2 to play. Jackpots start at $40 million, and the jackpot for the next drawing on Friday, Dec. 7 at 8 p.m.
Oregon Lottery
Matthew and Kateri Clark
$175,000 Scratch-It winner
Jan. 17, 2019 - Salem, Ore. – When Matthew Clark of Grants Pass got home with the groceries, he realized he forgot a critical item, tortillas.
“My wife told me to go to Safeway and get them,” he said. “And of course, I got caught behind people with tons of stuff in their baskets. So, while I waited I bought a Scratch-it.”
Clark said after getting the tortillas, he scratched the $20 Winter Ca$h in his truck and couldn’t believe what he saw.
Clark won one of the two top prizes on the ticket $25,000 per year for 10 years.
“I started shaking,” he said. “I had to take a minute so I could drive home safely.”
The retired UPS driver said normally he only plays Scratch-its when they are a stocking stuffer during the holidays.
Clark purchased the tickets at the Safeway in Grants Pass on 7th Street, and there is still one top prize remaining with the prize.
Clark and his wife Kateri opted to take the lump sum payment of $175,000 instead of the $25,000 per year for 10 years. After taxes the couple took home $119,000.
“We are pretty simple people and we are going to be smart with the money,” Clark said. “We had a bunch of home remodeling planned, and this money will go toward that. I think the first thing we are going to do is a kitchen remodel, then we will invest some of the prize.”
The Winter Ca$h Scratch-it, part of the Oregon Lottery’s holiday Scratch-it games, still has one top prize remaining.
Oregon Lottery
Ali Al Hawamdeh
$77,224 Keno winner
Jan. 15, 2019 – Salem, Ore. – Ali Al Hawamdeh is the type of co-worker everyone loves.
The car salesman from Portland said he loves playing Keno, and after winning $77,224, went back to work and bought lunch for all of his co-workers.
“It was funny because all the sales people were out to lunch with me and we all started playing Keno to celebrate,” he said. “Everyone at work started playing because I won.”
Ali-Hawamdeh-photo-webAl Hawamdeh said he has specific numbers he picks, which he likes to keep top secret, and they paid off.
“I will buy a ticket with a bunch of games, and then watch some through the new mobile app as I can,” he said. “But what I like is then if I do get busy, I go back and can check the ticket or look at the past games if I want to check the ticket myself.”
Al Hawamdeh said he purchased the ticket at a 7-Eleven near where he works. Then took the ticket with him. He was busy and saw on the mobile app that someone had hit the Keno rolling 8-spot bonus. Players who play the Keno 8-spot have a chance at the bonus, which increases each game no one matches all eight numbers. In Al Hawamdeh’s case, the bonus had increased to $52,224. Ali also opted to play Special Keno which offers players a different prize structure that increases larger prizes, but decreases lower prizes. With Special Keno by matching all eight numbers he won $25,000.
“I saw someone had hit the bonus and checked my ticket,” he said. “I looked down and said OH MY GOD those are my numbers! I won it!”
Al Hawamdeh said with the prize he is going to help some family members financially and start off 2019 debt free.
Oregon Lottery
Marissa McGinnis and boyfriend, Juan.
$10,000 Scratch-It winner
January 13, 2019 – Salem, Ore. – Marissa McGinnis had a different reaction when she realized she won $10,000 playing an Oregon Lottery Scratch-it.
“It was really weird,” she said. “I have never won anything like that in my life. I kept asking if they were sure it was a winner.”
McGinnis, from Klamath Falls, said she and her boyfriend, Juan, play Scratch-its for the entertainment, which is why they like the bingo and crossword versions of the game. The couple purchased the game at Oregon Avenue Food Mart.
“I like to do more than just scratch and see if I won,” she said. “I like to play the game and be entertained for a little bit.”
Now the couple are going to be very entertained as they plan their trip to Universal Studios.
“We are probably going to invest and save some of the money too,” she said. “But we have been wanting to go on that trip and saving for it, and this will help.”
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