Mega Millions Jackpot Wins in New Jersey – Telemundo New York (47)

NEW JERSEY — As the saying goes, anything can happen in New Jersey.

A man in the Garden State is now a millionaire after winning the $1.13 billion Mega Millions jackpot Tuesday night, becoming the game's first big winner of 2024 and snapping a winless streak since December.

The lucky ticket holder matched all six numbers drawn on Tuesday night. The winning numbers for this Tuesday's draw are: 7, 11, 22, 29, 38 And 4. The lucky winner receives a prize of $1.13 billion ($537.5 million in cash).

Lottery officials said the numbers were selected by the winner, not a quick pick, and were unique, meaning no other numbers were selected on the ticket.

This is now the largest jackpot ever won in New Jersey.

The ticket was purchased at ShopRite Liquor on Route 66 in Neptune, Monmouth County.

New Jersey Lottery officials held a news conference there Wednesday to present the retailer with a $30,000 bonus check for selling the jackpot-winning ticket. Meanwhile, the ticket holder is yet to come forward.

A man in the Garden State is now a millionaire after winning the $1.13 billion Mega Millions jackpot on Tuesday night, becoming the game's first big winner of 2024 and snapping a winless streak since December.

“I don't know who the winner is. We know where and when it was sold, but we don't know who it was sold to,” said James Carey, executive director of the New Jersey Lottery. “If you are a winner, sign the back of the ticket, take a photo, copy it and keep it in a safe place”

“I urge you to tell only your closest loved ones and then talk to a financial advisor,” Carey added. “No one goes from being an ordinary person to becoming a millionaire or a hundred millionaire overnight.”

(Fun fact: Neptune Beach in Florida sold $1.6 billion in Mega Millions tickets last year. There are at least seven Neptunes in the U.S., for those who are forced to move.)

Until the last drawing, no one had matched all six numbers to win the Mega Millions jackpot since December 8. That equates to 30 consecutive draws without a big winner. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 302.6 million.

New Jersey lottery regulations allow the winner to be chosen anonymously, so it's not certain we'll ever know that person's identity.

The prize is the eighth largest in US Lottery history and the fifth largest in Mega Millions history, although jackpots are always based on actual sales, so the official jackpot amount is determined later. The sale in 47 participating jurisdictions ends Wednesday morning.

“Congratulations to the New Jersey Lottery for selling the jackpot-winning ticket in Tuesday's $1.13 billion Mega Millions drawing,” said Gretchen Corbin, president and CEO of the Georgia Lottery and lead director of the Mega Millions Association. “We're celebrating our new jackpot winner and all the prizes won and dollars raised for good causes during this amazing jackpot race.”

The $1.12 million jackpot is paid to one winner in an annuity, consisting of an initial payment and 29 annual payments thereafter. Most winners opt for the cash prize, which is $537.5 million.

There were a total of 3,693,854 winning tickets, including the jackpot winner. Thirteen tickets matched all five white balls to win the game's second prize. The one sold in New York, valued at $2 million because of its optional Megaplier (available in most states with an additional $1 purchase), will double Tuesday night. The other 12 second tier prizes receive $1 million each and were won in California, Colorado, Florida (2), Georgia (2), Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New York (2) and Ohio.

The next big US lottery drawing will be Wednesday night and the Powerball jackpot is estimated at $865 million. No one has won that prize since New Year's Day, making 36 drawings without a winner.

Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, DC and the US Virgin Islands. Powerball also played in those states, including Washington, D.C., in the US. Also played in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.