New Jersey Lottery

Pick-3 is a three-digit draw game drawn twice daily.[7] It began on May 22, 1975 as a daily game; midday drawings were introduced in November 2001. It was originally known as Pick-it; the name changed to Pick-3 in 1987 to distinguish from the newer Pick-4 game.[8]

The ways to win, in the order of payouts from highest to lowest, are:[7]

• Straight - Matching all three digits exactly as they are drawn. Minimum play is 50 cents.
• Wheel - Match all three digits in any order and win the straight payout. Minimum play is $1.50 (if two digits are the same, such as 211) or $3.00 for three different digits (such as 123.)
• Box - Matching all three digits in any order. Minimum play is 50 cents.
• Pair - A two-digit wager; either the first and second digits, or the second and third (last.)
• Split - Also a two-digit wager, but with the first and last digits. Minimum play is 50 cents.

Typically, the straight payout is over $250, and the box payout (where the three digits are different) averages $38.[7] Unlike most lotteries, New Jersey pays winners of Pick-3 and Pick-4 on a parimutuel basis. Multiple wagers of the same number increase winnings. The most common Pick-3 wager is Straight and Box combined for $1.00 (sometimes known as a "50-50" bet.)

Pick-4 is a four-digit draw game also drawn twice daily.[9] It was introduced as a weekly game on July 9, 1977, became a daily game, and has been a twice-daily game since November 2001.[8]

The ways to win, in the order of payouts from highest to lowest, are:[9]

• Straight - Matching all four digits exactly. Minimum play is 50 cents.
• Box - Matching all four digits in any order. Minimum play is 50 cents.

As in Pick-3, the most common Pick-4 wager is Straight and Box combined for $1.00 (some players will make separate "straight" and "box" wagers for the same Pick-4 number, so that the "box" wager, if won, can be collected without filling out a tax form.) Typically, the straight payout is over $2,000.[9] Multiple wagers of the same number increase winnings.

On February 27, 2017, the Fireball feature was added to Pick-3 and Pick-4. This feature gives players an additional opportunity to create winning combinations. With Fireball, players can replace one of the Lottery drawn Pick-3 or Pick-4 winning numbers with the Fireball number drawn for more ways to win. Fireball doubles the cost of a wager.[10]

Jersey Cash 5 is a daily game that draws five balls numbered from 1 through 43. Drawings are held nightly, and the cost is $1 per game. The top prize (matching all 5 numbers drawn) is a progressive jackpot.[8] that starts at $75,000 (estimated). The jackpot increases each day until a wager matches all 5 numbers drawn. The jackpot amount is shared between each winning ticket if there's more than one.[11]

Jersey Cash 5 began on September 20, 1992 as a pick-5-of-38 game. Players won a parimutuel prize by matching at least three numbers. The original version of Jersey Cash 5 did not have a rolling jackpot; instead, if no set of five numbers was a perfect match, the first-prize pool was added to second prize winners (those who matched four of five numbers.) In September 2003, two numbers were added to make Jersey Cash 5 a 5/40 game, and the top prize level was changed to a progressive jackpot.[8] On September 14, 2014, Jersey Cash 5 increased its field of numbers from 40 to 43. Now a 5/43 game, its estimated starting jackpot prize was also increased - from $50,000 to $75,000.[11]

On October 3, 2016, the "Xtra" feature was added to Jersey Cash 5. This feature gives players the opportunity to multiply their non-jackpot winnings up to 5 times by matching 3 or 4 out of 5 numbers. If a player matches 2 out of 5 numbers with the "Xtra" feature, they win $2.[12]

A similar version of this game, called 5 Card Lotto, was offered from January 11, 1988 to September 18, 1990. It was the New Jersey Lottery's response to the initial wave of terminal-based, all-cash, lottery games with a higher prize potential than those offered in pick-3 and pick-4 games. Rather than an all-number field, the game used the 52 cards from a standard deck of playing cards. The game was drawn twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays. The winning combination was the five "cards" (actually marked balls) drawn. Although a "poker-themed" game, poker hands (four of a kind, full house, flush etc.) were not used to determine winning tickets. Instead, any game matching at least three of the five cards won a parimutuel prize. A ticket with any game matching all five cards won (or shared) the cash jackpot, which started at $200,000 and remained there until sales supported a higher top prize. Unusual at the time, 5 Card Lotto drawings were originally broadcast during the early afternoon, before being shifted to evenings.

On May 16, 2016, a new, similar game called "5 Card Cash" began.[13] Each play is a $2 quick pick, offering two plays with the same set of terminal-generated playing cards. The first play, called "Win Now", is an instant match game similar to the Fast Play games, where matching the cards to a poker hand wins a cash prize ranging from $2 (for a pair of jacks or better) to $5000 (for a royal flush). The second play, called "Win Tonight", is a nightly jackpot drawing similar to the prior version of the game, where matching at least two of the five drawn cards wins a prize, with matching all five winning $100,000. A $1 option, called "All In", adds to the prizes for the "Win Now" play, with a royal flush winning an additional progressive jackpot that starts at $10,000, while a straight flush adds 10% of the jackpot value to the prize.[14]

On May 4, 2020, NJ Lottery temporarily suspended 5 Card Cash sales & drawings due to the Covid-19 pandemic.[15]

Pick-6 Xtra is drawn on Monday and Thursday evenings. It draws six balls from 1 through 49. Games cost $1 each. The jackpot begins at $2 million (annuitized with a cash option) and increases by at least $200,000 per rollover until there is a 6-of-6 winner.[16]

Pick-6 began on May 9, 1980 as one of the first games of its kind in the US.[8] It originally was a pick-6 (hence the name) of 39 numbers. Players paid $1 for each game; a winning ticket needed at least four correct numbers in a game. It later went to a 6/42 matrix, followed by an additional change to 6/46; making even higher jackpots possible. Pick-6, until 2000, also drew a five-digit "bonus" number; an exact match entered the player into a special drawing where the top prize was $50,000 yearly in 20 installments, with no cash option. (Although the Pick-6 cash option began in 1997, it applied only to the "regular" game; choosing "cash" on a betslip, then winning the top prize in the "bonus" drawing, still meant receiving mandatory annuity payments.)[8]

In September 2000, Pick-6 adopted its current 6/49 format, adding a $3 prize for matching three numbers. Matching at least four numbers has always won a parimutuel prize.[16]

On January 15, 2015, Pick-6 added its "XTRA" option (an additional $1 per play per drawing.) Matching five, four, or three of the six numbers means the basic parimutuel prize is multiplied by the "XTRA" number. Matching two numbers wins back the $2 wager.[16]

Quick Draw is a keno-style draw game which was launched on July 17, 2017. The game is drawn every four minutes from 5:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. Players choose 1 to 10 numbers (spots) per play. It is drawn using a random number generator (RNG). The RNG draws 20 numbers from 1 through 80. Minimum play is $1. The 10-spot option has a top prize of $100,000 ($1 million on a $10 play). Players also have the option of how many consecutive drawings (up to 20) they wish to play. Up until September 30, 2018, Quick Draw was only offered at a limited number of lottery retailers (who have an HDTV monitor) showing each drawing.[17][18][19][20]

On October 1, 2018, Quick Draw’s Bullseye feature was launched giving lottery players higher chances of winning. During each drawing, one of the 20 drawn numbers is randomly selected as the Bullseye number. If a player matches the Bullseye number, bigger prizes are won. Players can add Bullseye to each play for double the amount of the bet per draw. On the same day, the Quick Draw ePlayslip was also launched where players can generate a bet slip by selecting their own numbers and bets through the NJ Lottery app. Quick Draw is available through all New Jersey Lottery retailers, with the live drawings displayed on each lottery terminal, HDTV monitors, the NJ Lottery app and website .[21][22][23]

Players select how much to wager; $1, $2, $5, or $10. Players choose from 1 to 15 numbers; the latter, the "cover all" option, guarantees a win. One number from 1 through 15 is drawn by an RNG. Players can win up to five times in one play, and up to 2500 times their wager, with prizes ranging from $5 to $2.500. The live drawing is held at 15 minutes, 30 minutes, and 45 minutes after each hour and at the top of the hour. Winning numbers are shown on each lottery terminal, HDTV monitors, the New Jersey Lottery app, and website. The game launched on September 30, 2019.[24]

On June 13, 2014, New York and New Jersey began sales of Cash4Life, which replaced Sweet Million in New York. Games are $2 each. The first drawing took place on June 16.

Players choose 5 of 60 numbers in one field, and 1 of 4 green "Cash Ball" numbers in the second field. Drawings are held live from New Jersey every evening at 9pm Eastern Time on Livestream. The top prize is $1,000 per day for life, while second prize is $1,000 per week; both annuity tiers have a cash option.[25][26]

Unusually, New Jersey requires players to choose cash or annuity when playing Cash4Life, instead of after winning. The cash option (if chosen) is binding, while an annuity ticket can be changed to cash after winning.

On May 15, 2017, Doubler NJ (available only in New Jersey, hence, the name of the feature) can be added to each Cash4Life play for $1 extra. All non-"for Life" prizes double winnings. Doubler NJ applies to each $3 play on a ticket.

As of July 1, 2019, it is offered by nine state lotteries and is drawn nightly.[25]

On September 6, 1996, six lotteries began a multi-jurisdictional game, then known as The Big Game. In May 1999, the New Jersey Lottery became its first additional member. The game became known as The Big Game Mega Millions in May 2002; a short time later, The Big Game was dropped from the name. Mega Millions' starting jackpots is $15 million; a cash option is available.

On January 31, 2010, many MUSL members (until then offering only Powerball) joined Mega Millions; likewise, most Mega Millions members added Powerball; New Jersey offered both games as of the cross-sell expansion date.

The Megaplier option, initially available only in Texas, became available to Mega Millions players in New Jersey during January 2011, the deadline for the then 43 Mega Millions members to offer the Megaplier.

Mega Millions currently is played in 44 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Mega Millions is drawn live, usually from Atlanta.

Powerball is a multi-lottery game which began in 1992. On October 13, 2009, the Mega Millions consortium and Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) reached an agreement in principle to cross-sell Mega Millions and Powerball in U.S. lottery jurisdictions. On January 7, 2010, the New Jersey Lottery announced that it would join Powerball, effective January 31, 2010; on that date, the 33 MUSL members were joined by 12 lotteries, including New Jersey's, that offered Mega Millions, although some of the 45 lotteries did not add the "other" game on that date.

On March 13, 2010, New Jersey became the first previously Mega Millions-only jurisdiction to produce a jackpot ticket for Powerball after the cross-sell expansion. The annuity value of the jackpot was over $211 million; the ticket was sold in Morris Plains.

Powerball's basic game has always had a $1 price; a game with the Power Play option (introduced in 2001) costs $2. On January 15, 2012, the most recent format change for Powerball included a price increase; games are $2 each, or $3 with Power Play. The minimum jackpot was doubled, to $40 million; a second-prize game (matching all five white balls, but not also the Powerball) wins $1 million, or $2 million if Power Play was selected.

Powerball is drawn live, usually from Florida; its home base was Iowa until 2008.

Unusually, for Pick-6 (as well as for Cash4Life, Mega Millions, and Powerball within New Jersey), players must choose cash or annuity when playing, instead of after winning. The cash option, if chosen, is legally binding; however, a New Jersey-generated annuity ticket that wins an annuity prize in any of these four games can be changed to cash. Such winners are given a 60-day period upon claiming in which to make the choice.

There is no annuity option in Jersey Cash 5, as its jackpot shares are paid in lump sum.

Since July 17, 1975, the New Jersey has offered numerous scratchcard games, called "Instant Games", with various price points, prizes, formats and themes.[27]

The Lottery offered a form of instant win game known as Instant Match.[28] Available as a $1 add-on to Pick-3, Pick-4 and Jersey Cash 5 tickets, the lottery terminal's random number generator produced a same-sized set of numbers to the main game. If any of the randomly generated numbers match the ticket's chosen numbers, the player wins the indicated prize amount.[28]

In 2015, this was replaced by a series of games known as Fast Play, which are instant games similar to a scratchcard, but generated by the lottery terminal. Cost and prize values vary between games. One game, Jersey Jackpot features a progressive jackpot.[29]

Lotzee (stylized LOTZEE) was a game offered from June 14, 1998 to September 13, 2003.[8][30] Originally drawn once a week on Saturdays, it expanded with a Wednesday drawing before being discontinued. It was unpopular with players, who felt the rules, which featured a combination of player- and machine-selected numbers, were too complex and confusing. The top prize was $500,000 cash; although not a progressive jackpot, the prize was split if there were multiple winners.[30]

Monopoly Millionaires' Club began on October 19, 2014. Its only jackpot winner was purchased in New Jersey. In December 2014, it was announced that due to low sales among the 23 members, sales of the game were to be suspended.[31]

• Lauren Berman[36]
• Jacqueline Knox

• Kaitlyn Cunning[40][41]
• Carmen Delia-Bryant
• Joe DeRose
• Renai Ellison
• Foster Krupa
• Dick LaRossa
• Meredith Orlow (née Parker)
• Erica Young
• Hela Young (deceased)[42]