Mystery solved: Winner claims New Jersey’s $1.13B lottery hit

⚫ A Mega Millions jackpot win had gone unclaimed since late March

⚫ The ticket was set to expire in about three months

⚫ This is the biggest NJ Lottery win ever

It took nearly nine months, but we now know that the biggest lottery jackpot ever hit in New Jersey won't go unclaimed.

The New Jersey Lottery on Monday announced that a New Jersey player has come forward with the winning ticket that matches all of the numbers from the March 26 Mega Millions drawing.

That's worth $1.128 billion.

In New Jersey, winners have a year from the date of the drawing to file a claim. After that, the ticket expires.

This winning ticket was purchased at a ShopRite location in Neptune Township.

According to the New Jersey Lottery, it's common for jackpot winners to take their time to file a claim. An agency spokesperson said the winner of the $1.13 jackpot was operating with an "abundance of caution" before making the official claim.

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The ticket was presented to New Jersey Lottery officials weeks ago, a spokesperson said.

The $1.13 billion prize is the fifth highest in Mega Millions history, and it's the biggest ever for the Garden State.

Who won?

The winner has chosen to remain anonymous. Because of a 2020 New Jersey, the winner can remain anonymous indefinitely.

The day after the drawing, media and members of the public flooded the Neptune ShopRite location for a press conference about the jackpot hit. The supermarket received $30,000 for selling the winning ticket.

Lottery officials said that the winner specifically chose the six numbers on the ticket, meaning the ticket wasn't a "quick pick."

The purchaser chose the annuity option for the prize at the time of the sale, according to officials, but the winner changed their mind and has since opted for the one-time cash prize ($537.5 million before taxes).

The announcement comes as the Mega Millions jackpot approaches $1 billion. It hasn't been hit since Sept. 10.

The estimated jackpot sits at $944 million. The next drawing is 11 p.m. on Christmas Eve. If the jackpot isn't hit, the big prize should top $1 billion for the following drawing.

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