NJ Lottery

You must be at least 18 years old to purchase a lottery ticket in New Jersey. At the time of purchase, a retailer will require you to present a state or federal ID with your picture and date of birth. While a legal adult can buy lottery tickets for a minor and present them as gifts, minors cannot buy tickets of their own under any circumstances. A family member or legal guardian must accompany a minor when the minor turns in a winning ticket to receive their prize.

The NJ Lottery drawings are completely random to ensure fairness for every player. Mercadien, PC, which is an independent auditing firm, supervises every drawing. The firm selects all the equipment for the drawings randomly and tests it for proper operation before each drawing begins. The New Jersey Office of Weights and Measures also tests and certifies all the balls that they use in each drawing.

·         The times for the NJ Lottery results drawings for the winning numbers are:

•         CASH4LIFE: Every night at approximately 9 p.m. EST.
•          Pick-6: Mondays and Thursdays at approximately 10:57 p.m. EST.
•          Pick 3 Midday and Pick 3 Evening and Pick-4 Midday and Pick 4 Evening: Every day at approximately 12:59 p.m. and 10:57 p.m. EST.
•          Jersey Cash 5: Every day at approximately 10:57 p.m. EST.
•          Mega Millions with the optional Megaplier: Tuesday and Friday evenings at approximately 11 p.m. EST.
• Powerball with the optional Powerplay: Wednesday and Saturday evenings at approximately 10:59 p.m. EST.

The Powerball jackpot in New Jersey varies depending on multiple factors, like the annuity factor and game sales. It has reached amounts upwards of $400 million for some drawings. Average jackpot wins are typically in the $20- to $140-million range.

Pick-6 with XTRA is the game with the best odds, as it gives you a 1-in-7 chance of winning a prize. Other games have similar odds, like Cash4Life and Jersey Cash 5 with XTRA, which have odds of 1-in-8 and 1-in-11, respectively. Other games have more challenging odds, like Mega Millions with a 1-in-24 chance of winning a prize.

Powerball is one of the simplest lottery games you can play in New Jersey. You begin by selecting five different numbers from 1 through 69. These are the "white" numbers. You also select one number between 1 and 26. This is your "red" number. You may choose your white and red numbers yourself or have the lottery terminal randomly generate the six numbers for you. Each play costs $2. Once you have your numbers, you can watch the Powerball drawing on TV or review the results the next day.

The payouts for Powerball vary depending on how your number selections match the drawn numbers. For example, if you match all five white balls, you win $1 million. If you match all five white balls and the red ball, you win the jackpot prize. You can also qualify for smaller prizes. Players can win $4 if they match one white ball and the red ball, $7 if they match three white balls, and $100 if they match four white balls.

Yes. If you win, you can choose to maintain your anonymity. Note that you will have to file a New Jersey Lottery claim to collect your prize. This process involves presenting your identification so that the State of New Jersey can report your information to the IRS and perform its own internal processing procedures. However, this information doesn't have to become part of New Jersey's public records.

Some winners may forgo the option of maintaining anonymity. They may allow their information to be publicly available, and they may willingly participate in publicity events. If you want to view the available records of past winners, you can fill out an Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request.

 The lottery has increased its games' odds several times since the organization's inception. For example, the new $2 Powerball became available and increased players' odds on January 15, 2012. The Mega Millions game also experienced an odds increase for its second-tier prize of $1 million on October 31, 2018.

Yes. You can buy them through a courier online, as long as the courier registers with the lottery. Although you don't have to be a resident to buy tickets online, you must be in the state at the time of your purchase.

You can claim a winning lottery ticket that's worth $599.99 or less by cashing it in at an authorized New Jersey lottery retailer. If you have a ticket that's worth more than $599.99, you need to file a claim. You may mail a completed claim form and the winning ticket to the following address:

NEW JERSEY LOTTERY

Attn: Validations

P.O. Box 041

Trenton, NJ 08625-0041

 You can also visit the Headquarters in person if you prefer to place your claim and winning ticket in the secure drop-off box. For high-value prizes, you may make an appointment to meet with an official lottery representative and file your claim in person. Make sure you bring a valid form of government ID and your social security number.   

Some avid lottery players enjoy the concept of joining a subscription plan that lets them buy future plays and automate their payment processes. Unfortunately, the state of NJ’s New Jersey Lottery games doesn't have an internet-based or mail-in subscription plan. The organization doesn't intend to introduce a subscription plan any time soon, so lottery players will have to remember to purchase their tickets each week.

The Jersey lottery's VIP Club is a free program that lets New Jersey residents stay updated on lottery news. As a member, you can choose which notifications and messages you want to receive. These updates may include the results of daily drawings and announcements of new games. Members receive exclusive opportunities to enter opt-in drawings and sweepstakes. You also occasionally get coupons for free state lottery products and the chance to submit your lottery-related opinions via surveys.

Signing up for the NJ Lotto's VIP Club can also give you a second chance at winning. As a member, you can submit any nonwinning tickets to the Lottery Bonus Zone and Million Dollar Replay promotions. Players cannot qualify for these second chances via any other method, including mail submissions.

There's no guaranteed way to win the lottery. You may improve your chances by purchasing multiple New Jersey Lottery tickets for the same drawing. You may also improve your chances of winning the jackpot without splitting it by playing drawing games that aren't as popular and still winning a top prize. It's important to play responsibly and only spend what you can afford to lose.

Yes, eight members of the Smith Family were the lucky lottery winners who won the $429.6 million jackpot. The Winning PB ticket was sold at the 7-Eleven, 750 Chambers Street, Trenton in Mercer County.  Learn more on Njlottery.com.

The Fireball is a number that you can add to your Pick 3 or Pick 4 ticket for more ways to get more lottery winnings. 

Cash Ball is the 6th ball with a value between 1 and 4. Matching this number can add more prizes.