What are the odds?
By Kate Northrop
TURNERSVILLE, N.J. — A Jersey Cash 5 jackpot winner was skeptical of their $678,674 win, but a coincidental run-in with a New Jersey Lottery official assured them that it was entirely real.
The odds of winning the lottery are high enough, but simultaneously winning the lottery and running into an off-duty New Jersey Lottery official and having them confirm the win must certainly be an astoundingly rare sequence of events.
The odds of winning the Jersey Cash 5 jackpot are 1 in 1,221,759, but it's impossible to calculate the odds of both winning and then running into an off-duty Lottery official, who verified the win.
Back in December, an anonymous New Jersey resident decided to purchase a Jersey Cash 5 ticket at Township Liquor on NJ-42 in Turnersville. When the numbers for the drawing on Friday the 13th matched their numbers — 3, 12, 18, 19, and 25 — they could not believe it.
Two days after the results, the player was still not convinced, feeling overwhelmed at the thought of possibly overcoming such difficult odds. The only way for them to be certain of it was to scan it in person at a retailer.
They took their Jersey Cash 5 ticket back to the store they purchased it from, where they ran into an off-duty Lottery official, who put the winner "at ease" and "provided all the instructions a winner needs to know," the Lottery said in a press release.
"That's when it became real," the winner told the Lottery. Running into a Lottery representative right after a big win and having them verify it had them questioning, "What were the odds?"
Having claimed their prize, the lucky player described how the jackpot would go a long way to provide safety and comfort to their family. Heading into the holidays and amid general economic concerns, they explained, there were fears that the family's house would have to be sold, but now, it's no longer a worry.
"I tear up just thinking about it," the winner said. "Not having that pressure anymore makes it better."
The Jersey Cash 5 jackpot currently stands at $613,000 for the next drawing on Thursday, Jan. 9. Drawings take place every day at 10:57 p.m. Eastern Time. Tickets cost $2.
All winning numbers, prizes, and odds can be found on Lottery Post's New Jersey Lottery Results page right after each drawing.
"Heading into the holidays and amid general economic concerns, they explained, there were fears that the family's house would have to be sold, but now, it's no longer a worry."
That's a nice feel good story.
we need more feel good stories like this
Most do not have a problem looking at their ticket and looking at the winning numbers that correspond to the exact same numbers on their ticket and the date matches. That does it for me. I have convinced myself that I won. I don't need a lottery official who just happens to be hanging around the store that sold it to confirm it. I might be a tad suspicious of him actually especially if he offered me a ride to the lottery headquarters. I don't know it's a decent hit but to ponder for two days about whether or not you won seems somewhat ludicrous especially when you are facing foreclosure or eviction.
Its not unusual for a lottery employee to visit stores. I saw our local lottery employee every couple months when I worked in the fuel center. He would stop by to make I had supplies, and just see I had any problem, etc.
He wasn't as smart as you but he was lucky enough to win and he didn't lose the ticket. Congrats to him.
A halfway decent lottery official would have told him to sign the ticket. Not seeing any mention of that vitally important act you should do if you even "think" you won with this oddball who won this time.
You don't congratulate someone because they were lucky. You congratulate someone for accomplishing something that they set out to do that had a realistic goal to it like getting married or getting a job or having a kid.
he ran into a lottery offical if I read that right won the cash five well that happen to me too nothing my ticket didnt win
I pulled up to the small local place I play and there was a small van parked next to me which I could see various Lottery paraphernalia in it. So when went in there was a guy behind the counter I have never seen, it was the lottery rep. I tried to ask some questions but he was too busy and seemed to try to avoid any customers. He got out and took off like he was on fire. Verified with the owner of the store it was the rep.
Yes, and what business was it of yours to butt in to a conversation between a lottery official and a store owner. What were those questions you wanted to ask about. Why would you think a lottery official would have the answers. He rushed out because he had to get to more stores to do whatever he had to do at them. No need for you to be concerned about it. Just fill out your cards and play.
So I can't ask - WHY the stores have OLD playslips that dont work and say the lottery hasn't given them any new ones??
I can't ask - WHY the Kiosk in other stores misprints tickets, over and over and the store employees say 'nothing we can do, contact the lottery'
Just to name a few. They need feedback from players.
OK, those are legitimate questions that you should ask if you happen to run into one . The having obsolete betting slips still out on the stand though is on the store. Not having replacements could be on either one. My store jams all the cards into the compartments right to the top so you cannot just pull one out. If it gets down to 3/4ths full the next day they fill it right back up to the top again.
Yea, I have asked and they still bring out 'old ones' even in out pick 4 game??? They are like 3-4 years old???
So I have to 'hunt' different locations. And I am thinking others are doing the same in my area, as often Bonus Cash 5 is empty at ones that are properly filled with all slips. I now have to 'hoard' slips at the house
On the bright side, waiting for a local small restaurant/store to re- open soon and had lottery before with all that I needed. Once they open I should be good again for supplies.
I concur. I have run into various stores that are slovenly about the way they keep their lottery stands with the correct slips and even pencils which all do get stolen so that is not on them. In my state they have a daily numbers slip for 1 or 2 digits and another one with 3 or 4 numbers which is by far the most popular one. Yet, the bins are filled with the 1&2 slips that no one plays. I have to steal about 20 of the 3&4's to take home to be sure I will have one next time I play.