Maine couple claims $8.2M Tri-State Megabucks jackpot

Oct 12, 2012, 8:07 am (44 comments)

Maine Lottery

Includes video report

HALLOWELL, Maine — Nobody was more surprised than Linda Von Oesen to find she'd won $8,190,000 in the September 26th Megabucks Plus drawing.

She was sleeping with her husband Bob in their camper, parked in a Walmart parking lot, when one of her daughters called to see if she'd bought a ticket.

"So she says, 'check your ticket'. I said, 'oh, alright'," explained Linda Von Oesen. "So here we are in a camper, pitch dark and so I says, 'I got to find it, just give me the numbers.' And so I wrote them on a piece of paper and then I went and found the ticket, and I says, 'Stacy, I got that one. Stacy, I've got that one!' And the next thing I was saying was 'Stacy, Stacy, Stacy' and she's going 'Ma! Ma! Ma!' And probably the whole parking lot woke up."

The Von Oesens were then faced with a dilemma, continue on with their vacation, or head home and get the ticket to lottery officials for safe keeping.

"I wanted to secure it, because I mean, I couldn't leave it in the camper," she stated. "And I couldn't take it down the river."

She says she buys one ticket for each Megabucks Plus drawing every week, and lets the machine pick the numbers.

"I do easy pick. I'm fairly lazy. Like I said, I don't even look in the paper. I don't even look at the numbers. I don't know what numbers I get. I don't even look at them when I buy them."

"It only takes one," she added. "If you are going to win, you are going to win on one."

The couple says they do not have any plans to splurge with their new found windfall, save for buying a new, more fuel efficient car, something they had already been planning on doing.

Well, except maybe one item, for their cocker spaniel, Abby. "We might buy a snow blower so she can have a path to go outdoors," said Linda.

"I'm still kind of in shock, trying to figure it all out," admitted Bob.

The Von Oesens have five daughters and fourteen grandchildren, and have already begun planning ways to use their money to help them.

"We are doing what we want, help our kids," said Linda. "It has always been about helping our kids, you know, make sure they're on the path to earning a living and that."

Pressed if they planned to take an exotic trip to enjoy their winnings, Bob explained that a wild adventure is not something they plan to do anytime soon.

"I was in the service, and had all the cruising I wanted, in the Navy," he said. "So that took care of that, and she doesn't want to fly, so we are not going to fly anywhere. So I guess we are stuck with our four wheels on the ground."

Which it seems is exactly where their feet are planted, even though their good fortune has their heads in the clouds.

The Von Oesens chose to receive a one-time, lump sum payment of $4,146,922 after taxes.

RAW VIDEO: Watch the press conference

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Comments

mcginnin56

Another high quality QP saves the day!  Banana

Original Bey's avatarOriginal Bey

"It only takes one," she added. "If you are going to win, you are going to win on one."

 

 

Getting to that ONE. Therein lies the battle!

helpmewin's avatarhelpmewin

Quote: Originally posted by mcginnin56 on Oct 12, 2012

Another high quality QP saves the day!  Banana

Thats one

helpmewin's avatarhelpmewin

Quote: Originally posted by Original Bey on Oct 12, 2012

"It only takes one," she added. "If you are going to win, you are going to win on one."

 

 

Getting to that ONE. Therein lies the battle!

Forsure,, 16 Yrs is along time,,, maybe they broke even by now. Wink

Ronnie316

Yes, its so funny when people play for 16 years and then say..... "I only bought ONE ticket"  lol. lol.

mcginnin56

Quote: Originally posted by Ronnie316 on Oct 12, 2012

Yes, its so funny when people play for 16 years and then say..... "I only bought ONE ticket"  lol. lol.

They had been playing the original Tri-State game since it's inception, at only $1 per ticket for the last 15 years.

Only in the last year with the Megabucks+ game, had it gone up to $2.

 

If you do the math, they only invested about $1768 to win a pot of $8.2 million. (based on one ticket per draw) This represents a ROI of 4,632%.

Not a bad return investment even after 16 years, even if it was won on "one" ticket.  LOL

Ronnie316

Yeah, except no one sticks to one ticket even if they say they do..............

My guess is, they are rabid gambling addicts.

RJOh's avatarRJOh

If I had a camper and won a jackpot, I would probably move up to a motor home, maybe a class A even.

RJOh's avatarRJOh

Quote: Originally posted by Ronnie316 on Oct 12, 2012

Yes, its so funny when people play for 16 years and then say..... "I only bought ONE ticket"  lol. lol.

I see players buying only one ticket all the time, if I didn't have a system I would probably only buy one ticket too.

Right now my system create 20 losing tickets per drawing, when I improve it so it only produces one losing ticket per drawing, I will only be playing one ticket per drawing too.

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Nice couple, I'm glad for 'em.

I like the lady, she talks funny.

Astekblue's avatarAstekblue

Great    Story

 

Great   People

 

I  am  glad  it   was  them  that  won

 

I   really   enjoyed   that  video

maringoman's avatarmaringoman

Did the winners have to answer all those questions? No No ages of their daughters etc etc

I am happy for the winners. I contributed to their jackpot. Hopefully I shall hit the jackpot this weekend Thumbs Up any jackpotJester

Artist77's avatarArtist77

awwwwwwwwwwww  "Well, except maybe one item, for their cocker spaniel, Abby. "We might buy a snow blower so she can have a path to go outdoors," said Linda."

GYM RICE

I believe it was suppose to read $ 4,146,922 BEFORE taxes. Megabucks is one of those $2 games who only payout half in the cash option. Which is odd considering most of the other games pay quiet a bit more than half on the cash option.

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