Unclaimed $1.5M lottery ticket sold in Atlantic City nears expiration
TRENTON, NJ — Somewhere in New Jersey, a lottery ticket worth over $1.5 million is gathering dust — and it could all go to waste in less than two months.
A Jersey Cash Five ticket worth exactly $1,517,632 remains unclaimed, with the clock ticking toward a fast-approaching deadline: the prize will expire at the close of business on Wednesday, March 25. The winning ticket was purchased on March 25 of last year at La Bodega, located at 2501 Atlantic Avenue in Atlantic City, Atlantic County.
The New Jersey Lottery has confirmed that the prize has not yet been claimed and is urging players to double-check any old tickets they may have forgotten in drawers, glove compartments, or coat pockets.
If the prize isn’t claimed by the deadline, the winnings will be forfeited, as state law gives lottery winners exactly one year to collect their earnings. After that, the funds are returned to the state’s lottery system for future prize payouts.
The situation mirrors a case in Mercer County, where a lucky player in May found a Mega Millions ticket tossed aside months earlier — and discovered it was worth $1 million. That player claimed the prize just in time, highlighting the importance of reviewing older tickets.
According to lottery officials, the only way to claim the prize is by presenting the original ticket. The New Jersey Lottery encourages players to check their numbers online or through the official app and visit its website for claiming procedures.
The state lottery, founded in 1970, has generated nearly $34.7 billion in revenue, supporting programs and services including the public employee pension system under a 30-year funding law enacted in 2017.
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Key Points
- A $1.5 million Jersey Cash Five ticket sold in Atlantic City remains unclaimed
- The prize expires on March 25, one year from the date of purchase
- New Jersey law requires lottery prizes to be claimed within one year