First-Time Raffle Player Wins $1 Million Top Prize
March 21, 2022
Mar. 21, 2022 – Salem, Ore. – A first-time Raffle player won $1 million after learning about the game from her boyfriend.
Janelle Visaya of Corvallis claimed her $1 million prize Thursday after using the Oregon Lottery app to check her tickets on the day of the Raffle drawing.
“My boyfriend told me about the Raffle, and so I bought a ticket a week; I think I had seven tickets. I didn’t mention I was buying them though,” she said. “On the day of the drawing, I was scanning them, and one said I won, so I set it aside and kept scanning. When I went back to see what I had won I was like, ‘oh… oh I won!’”
Visaya said when she let her boyfriend know, he was also very happy, surprised and glad he had pointed out the game to her.
“We are going to use the prize to put a down payment on a house and pay off some bills,” she said. “We are investing it in our future.”
Visaya bought the winning ticket, number 089715, at the Corvallis Fred Meyer in early February. The company will receive a 1-percent winner bonus of $10,000 for selling the top winning ticket. A Fred Meyer spokesperson said they congratulate Visaya on her big win.
With more than 1,800 prizes, Oregon Lottery Raffle winners can be found in every corner of the state. With 300 prizes of $500 and 1,500 prizes of $100, players should check their tickets as many of the smaller prizes remain unclaimed.
To check the winning Raffle numbers, players can use the Oregon Lottery app, like Visaya did. Players can also go to www.oregonlottery.org/raffle/winning-numbers/check/ or visit a participating Oregon Lottery retail location.
The $500 and $100 Raffle prize winners can claim their prizes at any Oregon Lottery retail location.
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 a trusted financial planner or similar professional to develop a plan for their winnings.
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.
Since the Oregon Lottery began selling tickets on April 25, 1985, it has earned nearly $14 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.
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Contact:
Patrick Johnson
Oregon Lottery
Cell: 971-600-6059