Mystery surrounds a Powerball player who won a $1.33 billion jackpot in Oregon after a delay

US News

by Emily Crane

published
April 8, 2024, 2:45 PM ET

A mystery Powerball player in Oregon who won a staggering $1.3 billion jackpot has yet to come forward to claim his prize after ending a winless streak that spanned more than three months and was hit with a delay.

The single ticket, which matched all six numbers drawn to win the $1.326 billion jackpot, was sold in a Portland neighborhood, Powerball said in a statement on Sunday.

The name of the retailer will be withheld until a winner comes forward — with the Powerball being released only to the winning zip code, 97218, so far.

A mystery Powerball player in Oregon who won a staggering $1.3 billion jackpot has yet to come forward to claim his prize in Portland, Oregon. AP

In Oregon, the identity of Powerball winners must be publicly revealed once they receive their winnings.

“I want to congratulate the winner on this life-changing moment,” Oregon Lottery Director Mike Wells said in a statement, adding that they have a year to claim the grand prize.

“No one in Oregon has ever won an award of this size, which is very exciting for our staff and players.”

Until the latest drawing, no one had won a Powerball jackpot since New Year's Day, which amounted to 41 consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner — matching a streak that had been set twice before in 2022 and 2021.

The draw was also marred by a delay of more than three hours after the participating lottery needed “additional time to complete the required withdrawal procedures.”

Aerial view of Portland cityscape — The name of the retailer is being withheld until the winner comes forward — with Powerball only releasing the winning zip code of Portland, Oregon, so far. Editorial Design Images/Global Images Collection via Getty Images

“Powerball rules require that every ticket sold across the country be scanned and verified by two different computer systems before the winning numbers are drawn,” a statement from Powerball explaining the delay said.

This is done to ensure that every ticket sold for the Powerball drawing is accounted for and has an equal chance of winning. Tonight, we have one jurisdiction that requires additional time to complete the pre-withdrawal process.

The $1.326 billion prize ranks as the eighth-largest in U.S. lottery history.

The current jackpot is $621 million if the winner opts for a lump sum, or $1.33 billion paid out over 29 years.

The winning numbers drawn are: 22, 27, 44, 52, 69 and the red Powerball 9.