On the night of March 26, a fortunate lottery player purchased a physical Mega Millions ticket that turned out to be a winner, securing a staggering $1.13 billion prize—the ninth-largest jackpot in U.S. history. Despite more than six months passing since the draw, the winning ticket has yet to be redeemed. In New Jersey, where the ticket was sold, winners have up to a year to claim their prize, unlike many other states that provide a shorter redemption period.
The Mega Millions Consortium, which operates the popular interstate lottery game across 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands, noted that most jackpots are claimed within a few weeks or months. The consortium recently released a statement urging the individual holding the life-changing ticket to come forward promptly and contact the New Jersey Lottery to initiate the claim process.
Typically, major lottery winners consult legal and financial experts to help decide whether to take the lump cash sum or the annuity payout spread over 30 years. However, this consulting process usually does not extend over a half-year. The longer the ticket remains unclaimed, the higher the likelihood that the winning ticket, worth a one-time cash option of $537.5 million, is lost.
New Jersey’s policy allows lottery tickets to be redeemed for up to a year following the drawing, meaning the $1.13 billion Mega Millions ticket retains its value until March 2025. The winner must claim the prize by March 26, 2025, or the ticket will become worthless.
The winning $2 ticket was purchased at the ShopRite grocery and liquor store in Neptune, located just west of Asbury Park. The winning numbers drawn were 7, 11, 22, 29, 38, with a Mega Ball number of 4.
In addition to choosing between an annuity or a lump sum cash payout, the winner can opt to remain anonymous, a choice permitted under a bill passed by New Jersey lawmakers in 2020. If the winner selects the cash option of $537.5 million, they would face a federal tax of 37% and a state levy of 10.75%. New Jersey’s lottery winnings tax is among the highest in the nation, second only to New York’s 10.9% tariff.
The redemption windows for participating Mega Millions states vary significantly. Oregon offers just 60 days for winners to claim their prize, while three states— Iowa, New Mexico, and South Carolina—provide a 90-day window. Most jurisdictions, including 27 states plus D.C. and the Virgin Islands, offer a six-month redemption period.
New Jersey is one of 13 states allowing a year for ticket redemption. The others include Delaware, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Currently, only nine states enable online ticket sales for Mega Millions and Powerball. New Jersey is not among them, although the state does permit online lottery couriers like Jackpocket to purchase physical tickets on behalf of internet users based in New Jersey.
Buying lottery tickets online eliminates the risk of them being misplaced, stolen, or accidentally damaged. When a winning jackpot ticket is sold online, it is securely held, and the winner is directly approached by their courier or state lottery to proceed with ticket redemption.
