Mike Wells
From the Director
The Oregon Lottery’s 2024 fiscal year marked a return to a more stable and predictable operating environment. With pandemic-era challenges fully in the rearview, Lottery focused on its core mission – earning maximum profit for the people of Oregon commensurate with the public good. This back-to-basics approach drove our strategic planning, helping to define three areas of focus: mastering our fundamentals, addressing deferred maintenance, and continuous improvement.
With clear policy direction not to expand mobile gaming, or grow our retailer footprint, work in 2024 largely focused inward – improving the games we currently offer, updating the back-office systems we use to get work done, and focusing on supporting our staff to be successful.
By all accounts we had a successful year. Highlights include:
Lottery retailers across Oregon collectively earned close to $310 million in commissions.
Lottery transferred more than $947 million to state beneficiaries.
Players earned prizes totaling nearly $16 billion. Thirteen players took home prizes worth $1 million or more.
A Powerball ticket worth $1.3 billion was sold in Portland in April resulting in excitement and global media attention for our winners and retailer.
Favorability of the Oregon Lottery remains strong, with 77% of Oregonians expressing a positive opinion of the organization.
Lottery staff reported an increase in employee engagement over the previous year.
As we move through 2025, we plan to maintain momentum with exciting improvements to our gaming portfolio and a continued focus on creating a more efficient and fun-to-work-at organization that is laser focused on delivering for Oregon.
Mike Wells
Oregon Lottery Director
Record $1.3 Billion Powerball Win
Oregon took the national spotlight after three winners in April claimed a $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot – the fourth largest in the game’s history. Cheng “Charlie” Saephan of Portland shared the prize with Duanpen Saephan, his wife, and friend Laiza Chao of Milwaukie. Saephan, who has battled reoccurring cancer was relying on a combination of faith and luck when he purchased over 20 tickets for the drawing.
The win is by far the biggest prize ever won in Oregon. Previously, the largest Powerball prize won in Oregon was a $340 million jackpot in 2005.
Oregon based Plaid Pantry sold the winning ticket at its store on Northeast Columbia Boulevard in Portland, earning a $100,000 bonus.
Media coverage example: Oregon winners of historic $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot revealed
Oregon Teacher of the Year: Bryan Butcher Jr.
In partnership with the Oregon Department of Education, Oregon Lottery helped honor the Oregon’s 2023-24 Teacher of the Year: Bryan Butcher Jr., a math teacher from Portland’s Beaumont Middle School.
Butcher was celebrated in his nomination for building trust and connections with his students, focusing on student well-being, and creating a culture of respect.
Lottery’s sponsorship of the award includes a $10,000 prize for Butcher and $5,000 for the school. Leading up to the award announcement, some 50 Oregon Lottery staff ambassadors also recognized Regional Teacher of the Year recipients across the state at local celebrations.
Media coverage example: Portland middle school math teacher named Oregon’s Teacher of the Year
Media coverage example: Oregon winners of historic $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot revealed
Oregon Themed Games
In 2024, Oregon Lottery launched two original Scratch-its: A State Parks themed ticket that featured three nostalgic landscapes and fishing and “Oregon Monsters,” a ticket with five mysterious creatures steeped in folklore from different locations around the state.
Overall, Oregon themed tickets result in more interest and positive response from players. The State Parks ticket generated $2.76 million in sales, while Oregon Monsters continues to generate sales topping over $2.2 million. Both tickets were priced at $5.
Media coverage examples: Oregon Lottery releases new Scratch-Its highlighting Oregon State Parks
Sports Betting Shows Continued Growth
Oregon Lottery’s DraftKings Sportsbook continues to show strong growth in key metrics. Turnover, or the amount wagered, is trending up nearly 29% over calendar year 2023 at more than $775 million.
The number of new users who placed their first bet in Oregon compared to 2023 has grown from 39,000 to more than 42,000. Pool play was introduced in 2024 to bring an additional wager option to players. It allows for a new, engaging way to interact within the existing sports product.
Oregon Lottery Implements Safer Play Initiatives
In 2024, Lottery used research to inform efforts to more effectively promote safer play (previously referred to as responsible gaming) for all players and to reach more players who are seeking help for themselves or a loved one.
Initiatives this year included publishing new, non-stigmatizing, inclusive language guidelines, updating the Oregon Problem Gambling Resource (OPGR) website to include more robust content, and sharing tools for site visitors seeking gambling moderation and habit change resources. In collaboration with colleagues at the Oregon Health Authority, Oregon Lottery now offers Oregonians free access to Evive, a first-of-its-kind app that supports people looking to change their relationship with gambling – from playing safer, to cutting back or quitting altogether. The scope of marketing outreach was increased to reach more audiences and promote these new tools and expanded resources.
Find more information on the Safer Play Program in the Safer Play (RG) Data Impacts Report.
Lifting Up Public Programs
Oregon voters and the legislature designate where lottery funding goes. Current beneficiaries are made up of public programs Oregonians care deeply about: Economic development, public education, outdoor school, state parks, veteran services, and watershed enhancements. Here are a few highlights of how Lottery dollars are making an impact in Oregon communities.
More than half of Oregon Lottery’s proceeds support public education, including public colleges and universities. Oregon Institute of Technology puts these funds to work by helping students earn career-ready degrees in areas such as engineering, environmental science, and healthcare.
The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board is the state agency responsible for distributing lottery dollars designated for the preservation and restoration of Oregon’s natural habitats and watersheds. Lottery-funded grants are helping bring people together to remove invasive weeds from the Willamette River and make it accessible and healthy.
The Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs operates campus resource centers with Oregon Lottery funds to welcome student veterans pursing academic or vocational education. The centers help student veterans transition from active duty to life on campus.
Learn more about Lottery-funded programs in the Oregon Wins section of our website.
Statement of Revenues & Expenses
| Operating Revenues | |
|---|---|
| Sales: | |
| Video Lottery℠ (Net Receipts) | $1,190,556,505 |
| Sports Wagering (Net Receipts) | 75,116,779 |
| Scratch-its℠ Instant Tickets (Net of Returns) | 159,752,047 |
| Keno | 106,957,338 |
| Powerball® | 95,639,778 |
| Megabucks℠ | 31,061,082 |
| Mega Millions® | 55,896,152 |
| Raffle℠ | 2,499,630 |
| Win For Life℠ | 5,066,137 |
| Lucky Lines℠ | 1,771,950 |
| Pick 4℠ | 1,975,349 |
| Provision for Uncollectibles | (40,527) |
| Other Income | 2,883,159 |
| Total Operating Revenues | 1,729,135,379 |
| Operating Expenses | |
| Prizes | 285,923,105 |
| Retailer Commissions | 309,824,695 |
| Salaries and Wages | 73,079,244 |
| Depreciation and Amortization | 34,318,168 |
| Services and Supplies | 35,639,702 |
| Game Vendor Charges | 52,134,049 |
| Advertising and Market Research | 6,601,932 |
| Public Information | 936,820 |
| Tickets | 3,448,733 |
| Game Equipment Parts and Maintenance | 9,311,451 |
| Sales Support | 533,245 |
| Total Operating Expenses | 811,751,144 |
| Operating Income | 917,384,235 |
| Nonoperating Revenues (Expenses) | |
| Interest | 23,716,370 |
| Investment and Securities Lending Income (Loss) | 1,022,221 |
| Insurance Recoveries | 447,380 |
| Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Assets | 255,222 |
| Investment Expenses – Securities Lending | (76,572) |
| Investment Expenses | (12,494) |
| Interest Expense | (296,525) |
| Total Nonoperating Revenues (Expenses) | 25,055,602 |
| Income Before Transfers | 942,439,837 |
| Transfers | |
| Transfers to the Economic Development Fund | (947,829,726) |
| Transfers to the General Obligation Bond Fund | (2,365,695) |
| Total Transfers | (950,195,421) |
| Change in Net Position | (7,755,584) |
| Net Position – Beginning | 329,089,048 |
| Net Position – Ending | $321,333,464 |