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The winning ticket was sold at the ShopRite Wine & Spirits on Route 66 in Neptune for the drawing on Tuesday, Mar. 26. The New Jersey Lottery said the prize remained unclaimed in a news release on Monday, July 8.
The jackpot was the largest lottery prize ever in the Garden State. It's also the fifth-largest in Mega Millions history and the ninth-largest ever in the U.S.
The winning numbers were 7, 11, 22, 29, and 38, and the Mega Ball was 4.
"New Jersey Lottery recommends that the winner sign the ticket, make copies of it, contact professional legal and financial advisors, and call us at 1-800-222-0996 to file the claim," the agency said in its release.
NJ Lottery said winners have one year to cash in a ticket before it expires. State law allows large lottery jackpot winners to remain anonymous.
If the winner chooses the 30-year annuity, it would start with a $16 million payment in the first year. Payments would increase by five percent until the final payment of about $69 million in the 30th year.
The cash option gives an immediate payout of $530 million. Executive director James Carey said many jackpot winners tend to prefer the cash option over an annuity.
The Neptune ShopRite donated its $30,000 bonus to the Fulfill food bank, which supports people in Monmouth and Ocean counties. TiYahna Bambaata, a niece of township Mayor Tassie York, was working at the liquor store when she sold the winning ticket.
Whoever bought the ticket also picked each number individually, instead of opting for automatically generated Quick Pick numbers. New Jersey had $9 million in Mega Millions ticket sales in the record-setting drawing and 10 winners were worth $10,000 or more.
The NJ Lottery's proceeds benefit the state's pension system, especially for teachers, and the agency made more than $1.1 billion in profits in 2023.
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