Oregon man learns he won $8.9M lottery jackpot after scanning forgotten ticket

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. — Just call it a Christmas miracle – several weeks late.

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According to KMTR, an Oregon man recently checked a forgotten lottery ticket and learned he had won an $8.9 million jackpot.

Wilbur Brown, of Springfield, was with a group of friends at the Moose Lodge on Dec. 24 when he decided to buy a $25 Megabucks ticket, the Oregon Lottery said in a news release Tuesday. The purchase allowed him to play in the next 26 drawings through Feb. 19.

Although Brown made sure to check his ticket after the first few drawings, he eventually forgot until he visited the lodge again in February, according to the release. When he finally scanned his ticket at a terminal, the message “See Customer Service” flashed across the screen. An employee’s scan revealed that Brown was a “Large Lottery Winner,” the release said.

Brown and his friends then checked the Megabucks website and learned that he had matched the winning numbers – 15, 33, 34, 40, 42 and 47 – for the Jan. 29 drawing, the lottery said. The prize? A whopping $8.9 million.

Brown, who chose to receive his prize as a 30-year annuity, will receive just over $200,000 a year after taxes, according to the lottery.

The Moose Lodge also received a prize of its own for selling the winning ticket – $89,000, the release said.

“The last couple of years have been a challenge for us,” Moose Lodge Manager Michael Scott told the lottery. “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.”

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