A $6.4 Million Lottery Ticket Won and Claimed in Bend

An Oregon Lottery Player won a whopping $6.4 million jackpot on a ticket that was sold in Bend in August. The winning lottery ticket, was purchased through an Israel-based website. called thelotter.com, a site that sells tickets for lotteries globally. Lottery Representative Mr. Bauman said from what can be gleaned, the website had as appointed a representative to buy the ticket at Binky’s, The business is a deli situated at the corner of SE Third Street and the Reed Market Road in Bend. Judy Bell Putas, co-owner of Binky’s, said she wasn’t unfamiliar with the website prior finding out about the winner who is an Iraqi, as yet unnamed. Ms. Putas said Binky’s regularly has many customers who buy multiple lottery tickets, therefore a buyer who was working on behalf of a foreign player wouldn’t attract attention. Owners of Binky’s, being the outlet that sold the winning ticket, will be collecting $64,000, which is 1% of the jackpot. The Iraqi winner has opted to take 25 annual payments of $256,000 before taxes and has received his first installment. The lottery officials agreed to accommodate the man’s desire to remain anonymous, contrary to their rules. Under normal circumstances lottery winners names are considered public record. However the lottery officials determined that if his name is publicized it will put him at risk in his home country. Apparently his circumstances in his country place him in danger, and it was thought prudent to withhold his identity. The Oregon Lottery are not sold over the internet, but officials had determined that the ticket sold through thelotter.com did not run afoul of any lottery rules or Federal law that govern online gambling.