Keep track of your tickets! More major prizes to go out the window

By Kate Northrop

In what appears to be a recent epidemic of unchecked or lost tickets across several states, the Oregon Lottery is the latest state lottery to announce that three major prize-winning tickets are expiring over the next few weeks.

Look in your drawers and check your tickets! The claims deadline for three major prize-winning lottery tickets purchased in Oregon is fast approaching, with just one day left to claim one of the prizes.

"It's time to check your junk drawer, coat pockets, and under the couch — anywhere a ticket could disappear," Lottery Manager of Player Services Heidi Quiring said in a press release. "After a year, the prizes can no longer be claimed."

The Oregon Lottery's announcement comes shortly after the Texas Lottery's call for the winner of a $2 million Powerball prize to come forward, as well as the expiration of a $1 million Mega Millions ticket purchased also in Texas.

All three tickets bought in Oregon, which are each valued at $50,000 and more, are set to expire over the course of the next month. One of those unclaimed tickets is for a $150,000 Powerball prize, which was purchased in Bend.

The Oregon Lottery does not release the name of retailers where tickets were purchased until a winner comes forward, but they will publish the city and zip code, Lottery spokesperson Melanie Mesaros advised Lottery Post.

The location and deadline to claim these three major prize-winning tickets are as follows:

• A $58,372.50 Keno ticket purchased in Salem, expires September 21, 2024
• A $150,000 Powerball ticket purchased in Bend, expires October 9, 2024
• A $50,000 Powerball ticket purchased in Wilsonville, expires October 18, 2024

Prizes that go unclaimed are returned to the state and are distributed to Lottery beneficiaries. According to the Lottery, $7.5 million in unclaimed prizes for the 2024 fiscal year were transferred back to the state.

The Lottery recommends that players sign the back of their tickets to ensure it is possible to claim any prize, and that jackpot winners should consult a trusted financial planner or similar professional to develop a plan for their winnings.

Lottery Post published a video on the significance of signing the back of a lottery ticket, why state lotteries recommend it, and how it impacts players differently in varying situations.

Winners claiming prizes of $50,000 or more must make an appointment at either the Salem or Wilsonville Prize Payment Centers, the Lottery stated.