PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Two winning Powerball tickets were bought in the Portland metro area over the weekend as the jackpot soars to $1.55 billion for Monday night’s drawing, Oregon Lottery announced.
The tickets, each winning $50,000, were sold in Hillsboro and Beaverton, officials said, however the top prize remains unclaimed.
In recent weeks, Oregon Lottery says the state has seen five winning tickets — including one purchased in Tillamook, winning $50,000 in the Sept. 30 drawing.
The winning ticket was claimed by 62-year-old Jay Haggard of Tillamook, who claimed his prize on Friday, Oregon Lottery announced.
“After hearing there was a winning ticket purchased in Tillamook on the radio, Haggard broke the news to his son, ‘Hey, you know how someone hit the $50,000 Powerball in Tillamook? Well, I’m that guy!’” Oregon Lottery said.
Haggard plans to use the money for family trips to Seattle Mariners games and to pay bills.
“Since the current jackpot run up began on July 22, Oregon has produced a total of $5.6 million in winning Powerball prizes,” Oregon Lottery said. “This is the first time two consecutive jackpot runs have produced billion-dollar jackpots in the Powerball game.”
Officials said the largest prize won in Oregon was a $340 million jackpot in 2005. The $1.55 billion up for grabs in Monday night’s drawing is the third-largest Powerball in history, Oregon Lottery said.
