Mystery player won big in Atlantic City but hasn't come forward

By Kate Northrop

The New Jersey Lottery is encouraging players to rummage around for a missing Jersey Cash 5 ticket worth $1.5 million.

There's not much time for an Atlantic City mystery winner to claim a $1.5 million Jersey Cash 5 prize before it's gone for good.

"Check your old New Jersey Lottery tickets, it might very well be worth the effort," the Lottery said in a press release.

The winning ticket matched all five winning numbers in the March 25, 2025 Jersey Cash 5 drawing, which were 1, 4, 30, 39, and 41. It was purchased at La Bodega on Atlantic Avenue in Atlantic City.

In beating the 1 in 1,221,759 odds to win, the ticket managed to scoop the $1,517,632 jackpot.

Players in New Jersey have one year from the draw date to claim lottery prizes. If no one produces the winning ticket and turns it in to Lottery officials by March 25, 2026, it will expire.

By New Jersey law, a minimum of 30% of the amount of an unclaimed prize returns to the state as revenue, the Lottery says. However, the Lottery will usually return the "vast majority" of those dollars to the state as revenue and opt to keep a smaller amount, generally less than 10%, to fund special prizes and promotions. Whatever remains will then go into the Lottery's reserves to "fund additional prizes for a particular game or to fund special promotional initiatives."

The Jersey Cash 5 jackpot currently stands at $1.2 million for the next drawing on Monday, Feb. 2. Drawings take place every day at 10:57 p.m. Eastern Time. Tickets cost $2. A courier service offers online purchases for NJ Lottery games with a service fee. (The Jersey Cash 5 cash is reported resuming access via courier soon, but all other games are available today via red "purchase" button on the New Jersey Lottery Results page.)

All Jersey Cash 5 winning numbers, prizes, and odds can be found on Lottery Post's New Jersey Lottery Results page right after each drawing.