On the day before Christmas 2021, Wilbur Brown was with some friends at the Moose Lodge in Springfield. And thanks to a friend’s tutoring on how to purchase a multi-drawing Megabucks ticket, Brown became Oregon’s latest Megabucks millionaire when he won the $8.9 million jackpot in the January 29 drawing.
While at the Moose Lodge Dec. 24, a friend of Brown’s bought a “26 for $25” Megabucks ticket. This option lets players buy a single Megabucks ticket for 26 consecutive drawings for just $25. Brown was not aware of the “26 for $25” option, and decided to buy one, too.
Now, armed with a Megabucks ticket that covered 13 weeks, each drawing from December 25, 2021, to February 19, 2022, Brown tucked the ticket into his billfold.
“After the first few drawings, I’d check my ticket,” said Brown of Springfield. “Then I just kind of forgot about it and wasn’t checking.”
In February, Brown was at the Moose Lodge again and remembered his ticket. Brown scanned his ticket on a self-check terminal at the Lodge and the message “See Customer Service” popped up. Not knowing what that meant exactly, Brown then gave the ticket to the server to scan. This time the message was “Large Lottery Winner.”
Still not sure what he may have won, Brown and other friends sitting with them at the Lodge began using their phones to check the web for results. It soon became clear that Brown was indeed a “Large Lottery Winner” having won a $8.9 million jackpot!
Brown opted to take the 30-year annuity option for his prize when he picked up his first check at the Lottery office in Salem on Tuesday, Mar. 8. After taxes, he will receive an annual check for slightly more than $200,000. Brown has set up a trust for his prize winnings.
Brown won his big prize on the eighth drawing on his 26-drawing ticket and his winning numbers were 15, 33, 34, 40, 42, and 47.
Brown was not the only winner when he won his jackpot. Thanks to the Lottery’s contract with Lottery retailers, the Moose Lodge will receive a retailer selling bonus of $89,000 – one percent of the jackpot.
“The last couple of years have been a challenge for us,” said Moose Lodge Manager Michael Scott. “The influence of receiving such a big chunk of change is huge! We’ll be working with our members to figure out the best way to use the bonus money.
“Another thing that Wilbur’s win did, was now everyone at the Lodge is buying the ’26 for $25’ Megabucks tickets!”
Players who have winning tickets of $50,000 or more, will need to make an appointment to come to the Oregon Lottery office in Salem. Call 503-540-1000 for assistance. As always, players should be certain to sign the back of their tickets.
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.
Source: Oregon Lottery