A legacy Oregon Lottery retailer sold the winning $8.5 million Oregon’s Game Megabucks ticket to a regular customer – marking the second time the store has sold a jackpot-winning ticket.
Tina McClendon of Tigard claimed the $8.5 million prize Friday. She won on a Quick Pick $1 ticket she purchased when she visited King City Liquor Store.
“I thought I would get a number or two,” McClendon said. ”Getting all the numbers is kinda cool!”
McClendon opted to take the bulk sum payment, and after taxes took home $2.89 million. When players opt to take the bulk sum payment, half of the prize is paid out, then the taxes are calculated.
The King City Liquor Store, which is one of the Lottery’s inaugural retailers, has been one of the most successful retailers in the state, and has a legacy of jackpot wins.
“We had a $23 million Oregon’s Game Megabucks winner back in the 1990s,” said Sheri Daniels, the owner of the store. “It’s very exciting to sell another winning ticket, my dad would have been proud.”
Daniels is the daughter of Leo Stratton, who used his special marketing savvy and experience to revolutionize how the Oregon Lottery sells jackpot games across the state. Stratton passed away five years ago, and Daniels said she continues the store on in his memory.
“We had a lot of fun here with my dad,” Daniels said. “I have worked here for over 40 years, and it’s great to see us sell another winning ticket.”
McClendon isn't the only big winner, Daniels' King City Liquor Store will receive a 1-percent selling bonus for selling the winning ticket. Daniels said she is going to re-invest the $85,000 back into the business her father made famous.
“We are going to take the bonus and put it back into the business, we are also going to be giving our employees a holiday surprise," Daniels said.
Among the many innovative sales techniques Stratton utilized at the King City Liquor Store was a menu of game choices. One of those choices was the “King City Special Maximum” which the Oregon Lottery turned into the Jackpot Trio package which is sold state wide. It’s a package where players can get a $1 Oregon’s Game Megabucks, $2 Powerball and $2 Mega Millions ticket for $5.
“My dad was always coming up with interesting ways to make the games even more fun,” she said.
Daniels said that two months ago the store sold a $50,000 Powerball ticket, and she thought she was lucky to have that sale.
“You never know when you are going to sell a jackpot ticket,” she said. “The lady who won is a regular customer and I love the fact that a regular won. That means a lot to us.”
During the 2015-17 biennium, more than $69.9 million in Oregon Lottery proceeds were directed to economic development, parks, education and watershed enhancement in Washington County, where McClendon lives and purchased the ticket.
Lottery officials recommend that you always sign the back of your tickets with each Oregon Lottery game you play, to ensure you can claim any prize you may win. In the event of winning a jackpot, players should consult with a trusted financial planner or similar professional to develop a plan for their winnings. Prize winners of more than $50,000 should contact the Lottery office to schedule an appointment to claim their prize.
Source: Oregon Lottery