MERCER COUNTY, N.J. — A Mercer County couple got more than loose change when they opened a junk drawer and discovered a forgotten Mega Millions ticket worth $1 million.
The ticket, purchased at Speedymart Food Store in West Trenton on New Year’s Eve, sat untouched for months until a recent day in May, when one of the players decided to check it.
“I was in the house and I just opened the drawer and I saw the tickets. I decided to get them checked,” the winner said. “I scanned them. One said ‘not a winner,’ and then another ‘not a winner,’ and then I scanned a ticket that said ‘winner.’”
After returning home and comparing the numbers on the New Jersey Lottery website, they were stunned to find they had matched all five white balls, winning a $1 million prize.
“I thought maybe $1,000. Or $10,000. I couldn’t believe it — $1 million?!?” the player said.
The ticket was still well within the one-year claim period, and the couple now plans to use the money to support their children.
“For us, it’s more about helping the children, making sure they don’t have debt,” they said.
Meanwhile, the Mega Millions jackpot has climbed to $154 million ahead of Friday night’s drawing. The game recently underwent changes to improve odds and boost jackpots.
Key updates include improved odds of winning the jackpot (now 1 in 290,472,336), a starting jackpot of $50 million (up from $20 million), and faster-growing jackpots. All non-jackpot prizes will now be multiplied between 2X and 10X. Additionally, the minimum prize for a winning ticket is now $10, doubling the $5 cost of a single play.
