Millions Unclaimed in Oregon Lottery
Every year millions of dollars in lottery winnings go unclaimed in the Oregon Lottery. (Courtesy Photo)
By Larry Coonrod
Imagine winning a million dollars and never knowing it. Or worse yet, finding out too late to claim the money. Most of us would go the rest of our lives imagining how things might have been.
Unclaimed Millions
Since 1990, one Powerball and five Megabucks millionaires missed out on their Oregon Lottery fortune.
The biggest unclaimed jackpot in state history was a $3.5 million Megabucks ticket sold in Tualatin for the June 26, 1996 drawing. The Oregon Lottery gives winners one year from the draw date to claim their winnings. Scratch ticket winners have one year after the game ends to redeem their prize.
Other unclaimed $1 million plus winning tickets:
- $2.5 million-Central Point-Megabucks 1996
- $1 million-Pendleton-Megabucks 1997
- $1.4 million-Medford-Megabucks 2002
- $1.3 million-Ashland-Powerball 2006
- $2.2 million-Milwaukie-Megabucks 2009
Millions of dollars in winning lottery tickets go unclaimed every year. The Oregon Lottery only tracks the purchase location of unclaimed prize winning tickets down to the $50,000 level. Since 1990, more than $16 million in lottery winnings of $50,000 or more went unclaimed. Last year unclaimed lottery prizes of all amounts totaled $2.4 million.
Two Winning Tickets for Same Lottery Never Claimed
While it may not be a million dollars, whoever bought a Powerball ticket with the numbers 15-17-43-44-48 PB29 somewhere in Tigard back in 2006 for the Feb. 18 drawing left $667,000 on the table when they didn’t claim it. A second winning ticket worth $1.3 million bought in Ashland for that same drawing also went unclaimed.
Then there is the poor sap in Hood River who bought a winning $1,000 a week for life ticket back in April 2007 and never claimed their $52,000 a year.
So what happened to all those unclaimed millions?
“The money is transferred along with all of our other proceeds for state programs like education and economic development,” said Oregon Lottery spokeswoman Marlene Meissner.
Since it began in 1984, the Oregon Lottery has transferred more than $7 billion to education, economic development and watershed enhancement.
Four $50,000+ Tickets Still Eligible
How many big winners still have a chance to claim their prize? State lottery records show four winning tickets—one Mega Millions and three Keno—worth between $60,680 and $250,000 still eligible for the lucky holders to redeem.
“We also have some raffle tickets out there, but they’re only worth $20,000,” Meissner said.
If you bought a Keno ticket in the Portland area or a Mega Millions in Hood River between July and December of 2013 and never checked to see if it was a winner, dig it out and match it against the list below. If you are holding that $250,000 winning Mega Millions ticket, perhaps we should talk finder’s fee.
Oregon Unclaimed Winnings Still Eligible for Redemption:
Keno-$97,362-July 31, 2013-Portland
Keno-$99,480-Dec. 11, 2013-Gresham
Keno-$60,680-Dec. 28, 2013-Milwaukie
Mega Millions-$250,000-Sept. 17, 2013-The Dalles -06-15-27-31-39 MGB-21
Contact Reporter Larry Coonrod by emailing editor@lincolncountydispatch.com
