News writer
For some, winning the lottery is a once-in-a-lifetime moment. For others, it's a daily ritual — one that, with a little persistence (and a lot of luck), can finally pay off.
That was the case for a New Jersey man who has played the lottery since the 1980s and just landed a $1.7 million Jersey Cash 5 jackpot. His story is one of dedication and intuition, but not unique, as you will see.
Winners never quit
With the Vince Lombardi Trophy up for grabs this weekend in New Orleans, the legendary Green Bay Packers coach once said, “Winners never quit.” That must have been the mentality of a recent Jersey Cash 5 winner, also.
The Warren County man, who chose to remain anonymous, told lottery officials, “I've played the lottery every day since the 1980s. I'm still going to play. I still feel lucky.”
This all comes after the lucky man hit the Jersey Cash 5 jackpot during the January 28 drawing, winning the $1.7 million jackpot. He recently claimed his winnings, telling lottery officials, “I kept looking at my tickets on the fridge; I couldn't believe what I was looking at.”
After playing the lottery since the 1980s, the man finally hit it big. He said he came this past summer, having matched four of the five winning balls drawn to win a “few hundred bucks.”
The winning numbers for that January 28 drawing were 11, 18, 22, 35, and 45. The Xtra was 4, and the Bullseye was 45. He bought the winning ticket at the Krauser's Food Store located in Washington Borough. For selling the winning ticket, the lottery retailer will receive a $2,000 bonus from the state lottery.
Now that he has his winnings in hand, the man, who does odd home improvement projects, told lottery officials he doesn't have any immediate plans and will use the money as a good backup. “My body's killing me from years in construction. I don't know how much more working I got, my body's falling apart,” the winner said.
Maybe now he can take on a few less projects after this big win.
Good start to new year for Jersey Cash 5
It has been a good start to the new year for New Jersey Lottery players, as well as Jersey Cash 5 players. In 2025, the New Jersey Lottery has seen at least 80 winners of prizes of $10,000 or more.
In Warren County, they have seen two big lottery wins already this year. This is well ahead of last year, where Wayne County players only saw five such winners for the entire year.
This was also the sixth Jersey Cash 5 jackpot winner of the year. That happens to be on pace with 2024, which saw almost 75 Jersey Cash 5 jackpot winners.
Another committed lottery player
Over in Maryland, a retired federal worker has been playing his adult children's birthdays since their birth in the Bonus Match 5 game, and they finally hit, giving him the game's top prize of $50,000.
The Aberdeen resident, who also chose to remain anonymous, told lottery officials, “I play Bonus Match 5 every night. I never miss it.” The in-state draw game made its debut in September 1995.
The big winner recently made his way to the lottery headquarters in Baltimore to claim his prize. He told lottery officials he plays his children's birthdays for the numbers. He has played “their numbers since they were born, and now they are adults.”
He won during the January 30 drawing, where the winning numbers were 11, 13, 24, 25, and 30, and the Bonus Ball was 7. He purchased the winning ticket at the Aberdeen Shell, which is located at 1026 Middleton Road in Harford County. For selling the winning ticket, the lottery retailer will receive a $500 bonus from the state lottery.
Enjoy playing the New Jersey and Maryland Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.
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