Persistence pays off as longtime lottery player wins huge prize. ‘Still going to play’
Since the decade of big hair and neon fashion, a New Jersey man has been trying his luck.
“I’ve played the lottery every day since the 1980s,” the Warren County man told officials in a Feb. 7 New Jersey Lottery news release.
Now, his persistence has finally paid off with a $1,699,120 prize from his Jan. 28 Cash 5 ticket, according to lottery officials.
“I kept looking at my tickets on the fridge,” the winner told lottery officials. “I couldn’t believe what I was looking at.”
The man’s quick pick ticket included the winning numbers of 11, 18, 22, 35 and 45, lottery officials said.
While the man, “who does odd home improvement projects,” doesn’t have any big plans for his winnings just yet, he told lottery officials the money works “as a good backup” after years of working in construction.
“I don’t know how much more working I got,” he told lottery officials. “My body’s falling apart.”
Despite his massive win, the persistent player said he’s “still going to play” lottery games.
“I still feel lucky,” the winner told lottery officials.
Warren County is about a 50-mile drive northwest from Newark.
This story was originally published February 11, 2025 at 11:30 AM with the headline "Persistence pays off as longtime lottery player wins huge prize. ‘Still going to play’."
