A New Jersey lottery player has claimed the $1.128 billion Mega Millions jackpot nearly nine months after the winning numbers were drawn.
The prize, the fifth-largest Mega Millions jackpot ever, was collected on Monday, three months before the ticket expired. In New Jersey, winners have one year from the drawing date to claim their prize, according to the state lottery commission.
The winning ticket was purchased at a ShopRite in Monmouth County, about 49 miles east of Trenton. The anonymous winner chose to take a lump sum payment of $537.5 million before taxes.
The player bought only one ticket and selected the numbers manually, rather than using the Quick Pick option, which randomly generates numbers, according to NewJersey.com.
This jackpot is the largest ever won in New Jersey and ranks as the eighth largest in U.S. history.
Meanwhile, the Mega Millions jackpot has climbed to $944 million for the upcoming Christmas Eve drawing. If won, it will be the largest December jackpot ever and the seventh largest in the game’s history. The cash option for this prize is estimated at $429.4 million.
Mega Millions tickets cost $2 each and are sold in 45 states, Washington D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Players can add a $1 Megaplier option to increase non-jackpot prizes.
Drawings take place every Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m. EST. If no winner claims the Christmas Eve jackpot, it will grow to over $1 billion by Friday.
Since 2002, thirteen Mega Millions jackpots have been won in December. Three of those occurred after Christmas and before the New Year, while the remaining ten were won earlier in the month.
