Salem, Ore. – Tucked away with a stack of other tickets in a Tupperware container was this year’s $1 million Raffle ticket. Leslie Carr, 52, of Portland claimed the prize on Monday after she brought her pile of tickets to the retailer where she buys them – the Fred Meyer in Happy Valley.
“I had no idea I was the winner,” said Carr, who works as a medical receptionist. “If it weren’t for the billion dollar Powerball winner making news, I would have forgot. We don’t check our tickets.”
After scanning a few dozen tickets for other draw games in the store, the last one was the winning Raffle ticket, drawn on March 15. When the machine came up with a message that she needed to go an Oregon Lottery office, she asked a staff member at the store to double check.
“I heard him say, ‘Oh, I can’t cash this because your prize is worth over $1,000,’” she said. “That’s when I started getting butterflies.”
Carr plans to use the money to pay off the mortgage on the home she shares with her husband, calling it “a dream come true.” A new truck to replace the one she currently drives with a broken windshield is also on her wish list, along with a vacation to Hawaii.
Carr said she regularly plays the annual Raffle and has never won. Prizes for the Raffle include the $1 million top prize, along with 300 prizes of $500, and 1,500 prizes of $100. The Raffle offers the best odds of any Oregon Lottery game to win $1 million – 1 in 250,000. Overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 138.8. The Oregon Lottery’s Raffle game went on sale December 31, 2023, and all 250,000 tickets were sold out by March 8, 2024.
The Oregon Lottery reminds players to always sign the back of their Lottery tickets, regardless of the game. In the event of winning a jackpot, they should consult with a trusted financial planner or similar professional to develop a plan for their winnings.
Since the Oregon Lottery began selling tickets on April 25, 1985, it has earned nearly $15.5 billion for economic development, public education, outdoor school, state parks, veteran services, and watershed enhancements. For more information on the Oregon Lottery visit www.oregonlottery.org.