Months after the Powerball jackpot was last hit at the start of the year, it kept growing, reaching an estimated $1.23 billion. Not unexpectedly, the interest in the popular lottery game skyrocketed just as the jackpot did and the grand prize was finally won after a player from Oregon guessed all winning numbers from the drawing on Saturday, April 6, 2024.
Although the early estimate was $1.23 billion, the grand prize hit a staggering $1.33 billion. The winning ticket for the latest jackpot, which marks the fourth-largest Powerball prize, was sold in Portland on the same day as the drawing.
The $1.33 billion jackpot marks the biggest lottery prize won in Oregon. Previously, the largest grand prize from Powerball in the state was won in 2005 when a lucky winner secured a $340 million jackpot. On the other hand, the last time a player from Oregon won the Powerball jackpot was back in 2018. At the time, a man from Salem hit the gameβs $150.4 million grand prize.
Before Saturday, the last Powerball jackpot dropped on New Yearβs Day in Michigan when a person won the $842.4 million grand prize. The latest $1.33 billion jackpot represents one of the largest for the United States too. The recent win marks the eighth-largest prize for the country out of all lottery jackpot games.
A Life Changing Moment
Mike Wells, the Oregon Lotteryβs director, congratulated the holder of the winning ticket purchased in Portland. He said that the latest jackpot represents the first of such size and marks an exciting moment for the lottery. βEven if you arenβt holding the winning ticket, all of our players support programs and services statewide that receive Lottery dollars,β said Wells in conclusion.
βI want to congratulate the winner on this life changing moment. No one in Oregon has ever won a prize on this scale, and itβs very exciting for our staff and players.β
Mike Wells director of the Oregon Lottery
To secure Powerballβs top prize, the lucky player guessed correctly all white balls, 22, 27, 44, 52 and 69, along with the red Powerball 9 from the drawing on Saturday. Seven other players missed the grand prize and took home a second-tier prize of $1 million each.
Under the current laws in Oregon, the winner of the mind-blowing $1.33 billion jackpot cannot remain anonymous. They will now have a year to claim the prize.