New Jersey

How to get a free Mega Millions ticket in New Jersey

Published

1 year ago

December 31, 2024

How to get a free Mega Millions ticket in New Jersey

The Mega Millions $1.269 billion jackpot was won in Northern California on Friday and now the New Jersey Lottery is running “The Jackpot Was Hit!” promotion where Jersey players can get a free lottery ticket.

Every time the Mega Millions jackpot is won, the New Jersey Lottery offers players a free Mega Millions ticket when they buy three. The promotion runs for seven days.

How can you get a free Mega Millions?

The New Jersey Lottery rules state that a lottery player must buy “EXACTLY three Mega Millions plays on a single ticket” and then will receive a free $2 Mega Millions Quick Pick ticket.

The promotion began on Saturday and will run until Friday, Jan. 3.

The Mega Millions jackpot is an estimated $20 million for Tuesday night’s drawing.

Players can still purchase the Megaplier on their three tickets, but “it does not count towards the qualifying purchase.” So, you still need to purchase three tickets total.

The free ticket does not include the Megaplier.

“The Jackpot Was Hit!” promotion also is run after the Powerball or NJ Lottery’s Pick-6 jackpots are hit.

When is next Mega Millions drawing?

Mega Millions drawings are held every Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m.

How do I play Mega Millions?

The cost is $2 per ticket, but you can add the Megaplier for $1, which will increase the amount of your potential prize up to five times the original prize (except for the jackpot).

Each player selects five numbers from 1 to 70 for the white balls and one number from 1 to 25 for the Mega Ball. However, you can also have the lottery machine generate a random Quick Pick for you. You don’t need to be a U.S. citizen or a resident of a particular state where you purchase your ticket.

How many balls do I need to match for Mega Millions prize?

You can win $2 for the matching just one – the Mega Ball. Short of the jackpot, you can win up to $1 million for matching all five white balls (except in California). You can check all the prize payouts on the Mega Millions site here.

Where is the Mega Millions available?

You can play the game in 45 states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The states not offering Mega Millions are: Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah.

Where can you buy lottery tickets?  

Tickets can be purchased in-person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Washington D.C. and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.

What is deadline for buying Mega Millions tickets?

The deadline for purchasing a Mega Millions ticket varies by state so don’t wait until the last minute. It can be 15 minutes to an hour or more before the actual drawing. For some third-party lottery apps, the deadline can be closer to two hours before the drawing. For example, Jackpocket in New Jersey has a deadline of 9:15 p.m. for the 11 p.m. ET drawing.

Click here to check the deadline for where you live.

What are the Top 10 Mega Millions jackpots?

Here are the Top 10 Mega Millions jackpots ever:

$1.602 billion, Aug. 8, 2023: Won in Florida
$1.537 billion, Oct. 23, 2018: Won in South Carolina
$1.348 billion, Jan. 13, 2023: Won in Maine
$1.337 billion, July 29, 2022: Won in Illinois
$1.269 billion, Dec. 27, 2024: Won in California
$1.128 billion, March 26, 2024: Won in New Jersey
$1.05 billion, Jan. 22, 2021: Won in Michigan
$810 million, Sept. 10, 2024: Won in Texas
$656 million, March 30, 2012: Three winners in Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
$648 million, Dec. 17, 2013: Two winners in California, Georgia

What was largest U.S. lottery jackpot ever?

Here’s a look at the top jackpots won in the United States, between the Powerball and the Mega Millions lotteries:

$2.04 billion, Powerball, Nov. 7, 2022: Won in California
$1.765 billion, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023: Won in California
$1.602 billion, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023: Won in Florida
$1.586 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016: Three winners in California, Florida, Tennessee
$1.537 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018: Won in South Carolina
$1.348 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2022: Won in Maine
$1.337 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022: Won in Illinois
$1.326 billion, Powerball, April 6, 2024: Won in Oregon
$1.269 billion, Mega Millions, Dec. 27, 2024: Won in California
$1.128 billion, Mega Millions, March 26, 2024: Won in New Jersey
$1.08 billion, Powerball, July 19, 2023: Won in California
$1.05 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 22, 2021: Won in Michigan
$842.4 million, Powerball, Jan. 1, 2024: Won in Michigan
$810 million, Mega Millions, Sept. 10, 2024: Won in Texas
$768.4 million, Powerball, March 27, 2019: Won in Wisconsin
$758.7 million, Powerball, Aug. 23, 2017: Won in Massachusetts
$754.6 million, Powerball: Feb. 6, 2023: Won in Washington
$731.1 million,, Powerball, Jan. 20, 2021: Won in Maryland
$699.8 million, Powerball, Oct. 4, 2021: Won in California
$687.8 million, Powerball, Oct. 27, 2018: Two winners in Iowa, New York

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. Must be 18+, 21+ in AZ and 19+ in NE. Not affiliated with any State Lottery. Gambling Problem? Call 1-877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY); 1-800-327-5050 (MA); 1-877-MYLIMIT (OR); 1-800-GAMBLER (all others). Visit jackpocket.com/tos for full terms and conditions.

Source link

Click to comment

New Jersey

Woman fatally struck by NJ Transit train in Ramsey

Published

12 hours ago

March 8, 2026

Press Room

Woman fatally struck by NJ Transit train in Ramsey

A woman was fatally struck by a train in Ramsey on the morning of March 8.

The unidentified woman was hit by the train at 10:49 a.m., just west of the Main Street crossing near the main Ramsey station, said John Chartier, director of media relations for NJ Transit.

Rail service was suspended in both directions between Allendale and Port Jervis but has since resumed, with delays of up to 30 minutes.

The train came from Port Jervis and was heading to Hoboken, and 150 people were on board at the time, Chartier said.

NJ Transit police are leading the investigation. No additional information about the circumstances of the death was available.

Source link

New Jersey

Bratt | POST-RAW 3.7.26 | New Jersey Devils

Published

24 hours ago

March 8, 2026

Press Room

Bratt | POST-RAW 3.7.26 | New Jersey Devils

NewJerseyDevils.com is the official web site of the New Jersey Devils, a member team of the National Hockey League (“NHL”). NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup and NHL Conference logos are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks as well as all other proprietary materials depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective NHL teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. Copyright © 1999-2025 New Jersey Devils and the National Hockey League. All Rights Reserved.

Source link

New Jersey

New Jersey E-ZPass stickers could arrive soon

Published

2 days ago

March 7, 2026

Press Room

New Jersey E-ZPass stickers could arrive soon

Out with the old, in with the new. E-ZPass is getting an upgrade.

New Jersey Turnpike may be saying bye-bye to the E-Z Pass device as they assess some new technology for the electronic toll paying service.

According to News12, the agency is testing a new sticker with a digital chip on their own vehicles that would replace the white plastic transponder mounted to windshields.

“We are planning to put the stickers in Turnpike Authority fleet vehicles for an informal test run. That will happen pretty soon,” said Tom Feeney, an authority spokesperson. “If there aren’t any issues, we plan to make them available to NJ E-ZPass customers.”

Officials say the stickers could be rolled out to drivers by the end of the year if the test run is successful.

This new method would potentially save the authority millions of dollars since the sticker tags don’t require batteries.

So far Massachusetts is the most recent state to change. On March 1 drivers received a small E-ZPass sticker to put on their windshield.

The new sticker transponder has an RFID chip embedded in them that’s read by the overhead toll gantries.

The current transponders, which MassDOT gives out to new customers for free, costs the state $6.70 each while the new stickers cost 55 cents, Massachusetts Department of Transportation Administrator Jonathan Gulliver told WBUR.

Source link