Two New Jersey lottery players struck gold last week, each winning $600,000 on back-to-back days in the Colossal Crossword game.
One winner bought their ticket on December 15 at a 7-Eleven on South Summit Avenue in Hackensack, Bergen County. The other purchased theirs on December 16 at Krauszer’s on North Broadway in South Amboy, Middlesex County.
The Hackensack player said they were stunned when they realized they had won. “That’s all I play—the Crossword,” they said, according to the New Jersey Lottery. “I probably sat and looked at it for like 20 minutes.”
According to the New Jersey Lottery’s official website, which updates daily, two more $600,000 prizes remain unclaimed in the same game. These winning tickets may have already been sold, but no one has stepped forward yet.
In addition to the top prizes, there are still hundreds of chances to win smaller amounts. As of now, there are seven remaining $2,000 prizes out of 36 originally offered. There are also 889 $500 prizes still available. Prizes of $250, $150, $100, $75, and $50 also remain in high numbers.
Players can visit the New Jersey Lottery’s website to check the current status of all remaining prizes.
Meanwhile, the Mega Millions jackpot has climbed to $1.15 billion after no winning ticket matched all numbers in the December 24 drawing. The winning numbers drawn on Tuesday were 11, 14, 38, 45, 46, and the Mega Ball was 3.
To win the Mega Millions jackpot, players must match all five main numbers plus the Mega Ball. Since no one claimed the top prize, the jackpot has become the fifth-largest in the game’s history.
Joshua Johnston, lead director of the Mega Millions group, said the jackpot could make a perfect holiday surprise. “What a gift that would turn out to be if you ended up with a ticket worth a $1.15 billion jackpot,” he said. “It’s a great way to celebrate the season, no matter how you choose to do it.”
