Deadline Approaching for $1.13B Mega Millions Ticket To Be Redeemed

• Gambling News
• 02 October 2024

On Tuesday, March 26, a fortunate lottery participant bought a tangible Mega Millions ticket that won the jackpot. The award had a value of $1.13 billion, making it the ninth-largest lottery prize in U.S. history. 

More than six months have passed, and the ticket remains unredeemed. Although numerous state lotteries provide Mega Millions victors with six months or fewer to claim their winnings, New Jersey allows winners an entire year. 

The Mega Millions Consortium, responsible for managing the well-known interstate lottery game for 45 states, Washington, DC, and the US Virgin Islands, reports that the majority of jackpots are claimed within several weeks or months. In a recent announcement, the lottery organization urged the holder of the life-altering ticket to step forward.

"The winner should contact New Jersey Lottery as soon as possible to begin the claim process,” the Mega Millions Consortium notice read.

Although it’s wise for significant lottery winners to seek guidance from legal and financial experts when deciding between a lump sum or receiving the total jackpot amount through a 30-year annuity, this decision-making process usually doesn't extend beyond six months. As time passes, it seems more probable that the winning ticket, with a one-time cash option of $537.5 million, has been misplaced. 

Spring Due Date 

The New Jersey Lottery permits ticket redemptions for up to a year post-drawing, allowing the $1.13 billion Mega Millions ticket to remain valid until March 2025. The winner must submit the claim by March 26, 2025, or the ticket will lose its value. 

The $2 winning ticket was purchased at the ShopRite grocery and liquor store in Neptune, located just west of Asbury Park. The numbers that won were 7, 11, 22, 29, 38, and the Mega Ball was 4. 

In addition to selecting the annuity or cash option, the winner must decide if they want to stay anonymous, which is permitted by a bill enacted by New Jersey lawmakers in 2020, or reveal their identity. The lump sum cash option of $537.5 million is subject to a federal tax of 37% and a state tax of 10.75%. 

New Jersey imposes one of the highest taxes on lottery winnings in the nation, surpassed only by New York's 10.9% rate. 

Digital Lottery Safeguards 

States participating in Mega Millions have widely differing timeframes for redeeming tickets. 

Oregon provides winners with just 60 days, whereas three states — Iowa, New Mexico, and South Carolina — allow winners only 90 days. The majority of jurisdictions — 27 states, along with DC and the Virgin Islands — allow winners six months to claim their prizes. 

New Jersey is among the 13 states that offer a year for redemption. The remaining states are Delaware, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. 

Currently, only nine states allow the sale of tickets online for Mega Millions and Powerball. New Jersey isn't included among them, yet the state permits online lottery couriers such as Jackpocket to buy physical tickets for internet users residing in the state. 

Digital lottery games eliminate the risk of tickets being lost, stolen, or unintentionally harmed. When an online winning jackpot is sold, the ticket is protected, and the winner will be contacted by their courier or state lottery regarding the ticket redemption process.