One lucky winner to emerge $2 million richer on New Year's Day
By Kate Northrop
After over a decade, the New Jersey Lottery is bringing back a statewide raffle that will award one lucky player a $2 million grand prize, as well as hundreds of other cash prizes.
Beginning Mon., Nov. 22, 500,000 raffle tickets will be up for grabs at $20 each for entry into a series of drawings that could award prizes ranging from $500 all the way up to $2 million.
"It's been 13 years since we have held a New Jersey only raffle and we are bringing it back for our players," Executive Director James Carey said in a press release. "We know that players love great odds, a large cash prize, and a guaranteed grand prize winner selected on the first day of the new year. In total, the New Year's Raffle can award 39,468 prizes and one of those lucky players will start off 2022 as a multimillionaire."
Players entered in the raffle will no doubt be clutching their tickets in anticipation of the grand prize drawing on the first of January, but that doesn't meant there are other drawings to pay close attention to.
Each Monday prior to the new year, the Lottery will hold an "early-bird" drawing for one $25,000 prize — that's five drawings for five winners of $25,000 leading up to the grand prize drawing.
What's more, winners of the $25,000 prize in early-bird drawings will still be eligible for the $2 million top prize.
The first early-bird drawing takes place Mon., Nov. 29.
Not only that, but 100 players will win $5,000, and 900 players will win $500 on New Year's Day in addition to the $2 million grand prize. Finally, up to 38,462 tickets across the state will win a $50 instant prize.
At $20 a ticket, it's the best odds in New Jersey to win a $2 million prize.
"Tickets are limited, so we encourage players with big dreams to get in the game early," Carey continued. "We remind everyone to play responsibly and within their means."
I love raffles, good luck New Jersey players.
I am super excited about this. I've really missed the holiday raffles in NJ. Nice that the top prize is now $2 million.
I tend to doubt that Michigan will bring back raffles because Fast Cash is very similar to them.
BTW Mega Millions and PowerBall are getting to be pretty similar to raffles too with the rollovers lasting about as many months as raffles tend to take.
NJ definitely deserves this raffle.
To the players who win more than $599 on this revised raffle, prepare to wait and wait and wait to get paid. The Jersey Lottery is now advising players on its web-site to expect it to take six weeks to receive a check in the mail AFTER filing a winning claim. Actually it probably takes longer. Also, the Lottery Office in Trenton is available for players to file a claim by appointment only to big winners and open just two days a week until 4:30 p.m. They use the pandemic as an excuse, but even before the 2020 it was taking about four to six weeks to get a check because the N.J. Lottery is run by a private company and obliviously the company can't issue checks from the state. There is a lag time as the two entities work to fulfill claims. But at least back then the office was open every business day, even to walk-ins, and worked on all claims no matter how small. Of course, it is good to win and whenever the money the money arrives it comes in handy, but why can't the NJ Lottery be like New York where you can actually get paid in cash even for large wins at its Casinos? I hit the New Jersey lottery in early 2020 for $5,000 on Play 4 and went right to Resorts World in Jamaica, NY, filled out a claim form and got the money immediately. They pay out up to $250,000.
Agree with you folks using the pandemic as an excuse to not do things like they used to. We got stuck with games going to RNG which I think we all HATE!!
Am confused by your last sentence...won $5K in NJ and claimed it @ Resorts World in Jamaica, New York? Sounds like you won in two different states? How long did NJ take to divvy out the money?
Bleudog101, you are right. That was inaccurate. It wasn't the NJ Lottery. I meant NY Lottery. I hit the Play 4 for $1 straight in New York City and cashed it at the casino. Thanks for catching the mistake. And, yes, companies are using the pandemic as an excuse to cut their costs like hotels limiting housekeeping, etc. And computer drawings are the worst and obviously put in place to control the payouts since a computer drawing cannot be truly "random" because the computer has to be programmed.
My mistake. It was the NEW YORK Lottery i hit in early February 2020 for $5,000 and cashed the ticket at Resorts World.
No problem whatsoever.
Do they take taxes out on a $5K win? Here they don't and you know that tax form comes quickly.
They had an on-line raffle but you had to join up, so I passed .
Florida did away with their holiday millionaire raffle a few years ago. Sure wish they'd bring it back like NJ did. G5
Pennsylvania also continues to operate its annual holiday Millionaire Raffle, which is the oldest in the nation (est. 2005), and has been in operation every year since then. Tickets went on sale this year on Nov. 9. Weekly early bird drawings are taking place, and the final drawing is on Jan. 8, 2022.
Hi all,
Just came back from buying 2 raffle tix, very unusual for me to drop $20 on a lottery ticket, let alone $40. (I don't buy scratchers)
when I asked clerk for the tix she punched a few buttons on the machine and it spit out 3 slips of paper, we both initially though something went wrong,
and I thought I was spending $60 B/C I always buy the mistakes. wrong, I did not realize this game had a $50 instant win prize also.
The 3rd slip of paper read : Congratulations you have won $50. the clerk was not sure what to do and called someone on the phone.
then paid the $50. I trust this store. but be on the lookout, a dishonest clerk could take the 3rd slip and you might not be the wiser.
So do you have to be a NJ resident to purchase a ticket? What if you live in a neighboring state?
11/29/2021: First of Five $25,000 Early Draw Results: 051003!
Winning NJL New Year's Raffle Ticket Sold in Hudson County at Mill Creek Exxon!
12/06/2021: Second of Five $25,000 Early Draw Results: 015120!
Winning NJL New Year's Raffle Ticket Sold in Passaic County at Dave's Variety!
I should have mentioned that the raffle tic. that won the $50 also says congrats on it,
but you still need the voucher to get the cash.
If you live in a neighboring state just mention my name and they'll allow you to buy as many tickets as you want. Just tell them that Ridge Runner, the Grand High Exalted Mystic Ruler of The Great Hall of the Mountain Kings and Oracle of the Appalachians of East Tennessee sent you. And make sure you let me know if anybody gives you a hard time about it.
12/13/21 3rd winner is 062446 at 7-11 in Edison, Middlesex County.
and the BIG SURPRISE is...there is no surprise...another winner sold up north.
But that's where most of the population is so no thanks.
Ya know I tried that, he didn't give me a hard time but showed me a pic. of a bottle of clear liquid and asked could I get him some.
I said That's water, he didn't speak good English so I couldn't understand him. I think he called it Starshine...whatever that is ?
Edison is in Central Jersey.
12/20/21 7-11 in wait for it...ESSEX county raffle #034047
definitely up north.
Todd, a couple years ago the Gov. was interviewed by Stephen Colbert.
When asked what part of Jersey he was from he said "central Jersey"
when asked what town he said "Middletown" LOL !
Down here the natives tell me everything north of the Mullica river is in the north,
I would include Ocean and Burlington but I"m still an "outsider !
Maybe those are part of central also.
No, we'll take anyone's greenbacks !
LOL, I don't think the rest of the state sees it that way! The NJ South probably would have no problem breaking off and becoming a different state. I'm not sure if I blame them for feeling that way.
Maybe it goes all the way back to Ben Franklin saying the state is "Like a keg taped at both ends"
due to proximity to Philly and NYC.
12/27/21 raffle # 043343 at 7-11 in Evesham twp. Burlington county, WOW in the south...
well maybe that's central. but if so, it's almost as far south in central as you can get
so there's hope for me yet !
The following seven counties are completely included in South Jersey:
Atlantic County
Burlington County
Camden County
Cape May County
Cumberland County
Gloucester County
Salem County