Nearly a year later, a $1.3M New Jersey Lottery ticket awaits a winner

Somewhere in New Jersey, a ticket worth more than a million dollars is hiding in plain sight.

Nearly a year has passed since it was sold, but the lucky player still hasn't stepped forward to claim their life-changing prize. Could it be tucked in a wallet, lost in a glove box, or forgotten in a drawer?

Winning ticket nearing expiration

A Jersey Cash 5 ticket purchased in Monmouth County matched all the winning numbers for the November 25, 2024, drawing. They were the only ticket that night to match all the numbers drawn, so they won the $1.3 million jackpot.

Well, it's been almost 11 months since that drawing was held, and the lucky winner still hasn't set foot inside the lottery headquarters to claim their prize. Their time to claim this prize is running out, too.

For the New Jersey Lottery, draw-game tickets are valid one year from the date of the draw.

The winning ticket was purchased at Wawa, located at 3303 Route 9 in Freehold. The winning numbers for the November 25, 2024, drawing were 3, 19, 24, 27, and 39. The XTRA was 3, and the Bullseye was 39.

In a press release, New Jersey Lottery Executive Director James Carey stated:

Players really should check their tickets. We have several ways our players can verify if they are winners. More than once, I've seen players come to us after a period of time, saying they won a prize after finding a misplaced ticket.

More New Jersey Lottery tickets are nearing expiration

This isn't the only New Jersey Lottery ticket that is nearing expiration. While the $1.3 million winning ticket is the highest, two other tickets will expire soon:

• November 1 – $150,000 Jersey Cash 5 ticket purchased at White Oak Liquors in Belleville. The winning numbers for that drawing were 6, 14, 17, 20, and 37. The XTRA was 2, and the Bullseye was 14.
• November 23 – $50,000 Powerball ticket purchased at Stew Leonard's in Paramus. The winning numbers for this drawing were 12, 13, 34, 44, and 67, and the Powerball number was 8. The Power Play was 3X.

Other unclaimed prizes

New Jersey Lottery players aren't the only ones not claiming their winnings. Here are some other states with some upcoming expiration dates on winning tickets:

• October 23 – $50,000 Powerball Double Play ticket purchased at Casey's No. 3678, located at 1321 W. Adams St. in Decatur, Indiana. The ticket was for the April 26, 2025, drawing, where the winning numbers for the Double Play were 12, 20, 26, 38, and 40, and the Powerball number was 5.
• November 6 – $1 million Powerball ticket purchased at the Mardi Gras Casino in Kanawha County in May.
• November 30 – $200,000 Powerball ticket purchased at Dolton Express Citgo, located at 44 E. Sibley Blvd. in Dolton. The winning numbers for the November 20, 2024, drawing were 4, 24, 29, 39, and 63, with a Powerball number of 25, and the Power Play was 4X.

Enjoy playing the New Jersey Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.