NJ lottery player starts 2026 with $3m scratch-off prize

• A $5 scratch-off ticket purchase brought a $3m win to a Hudson County, New Jersey player
• The winner's identity remains unknown and besides $10,000 a month for 25 years for a total payout of $3m, they can collect a one-time lump sum of nearly $1.8m
• Several other lottery players won life-enhancing prizes

An incredibly fortunate lottery player started the New Year with a life-changing multi-million-dollar win.

On Friday, the New Jersey Lottery confirmed that the first top prize from its Win for Life! scratch-off ticket game has gone down.

Hudson County player takes down the first top prize from Win for Life!

The winning ticket was purchased at the 502 Grocery and Deli, 502 Ocean Avenue in Jersey City.

Taking down the Win for Life! scratch-off game's top prize, the winner is looking forward to a total payout of $3m.

The popular $5 scratch-off ticket offers a total of three prizes of $10,000 a month for 25 years for a total payout of $3m.

Alternatively, the winner can pick a one-time, lump cash sum of $1,769,800.

The lucky soul who purchased the ticket from Hudson County is yet to claim their big win.

After the top prize won by the Hudson County player, two more prizes of $10,000 a month remain in play from the Win for Life! game.

The popular $5 scratch-off also offers tier-two prizes of $10,000 each, with 26 such remaining in play.

Tier-three prizes pay $2,000 and there are 93 such prizes up for grabs.

More players take home sweet lottery prizes

Near the end of 2025, a number of six-figure prizes were won by New Jersey Lottery players.

On December 29, a Merry Money Tree ticket purchased at 7-Eleven #11036 at 45 Monmouth Road in Oakhurst, Monmouth County, hit a $200,000 top prize.

The same day, a ticket for the same game sold at Wawa #433 at 502 Shore Road in Somers Point, Atlantic County, also won $200,000. This was the third and last top prize win from the $5 game.

In addition to those two lottery windfalls, another player started 2026 richer.

That's the case for a fortunate soul who purchased a ticket for the $10 game, $250,000 Crossword.

On January 1, 2026, a ticket sold at Millennium Food Mart at 108 Bloomfield Avenue in Newark, Essex County, hit the game's top prize for a sweet $250,000 payout.

After that win, six more top prizes remain in play from the $250,000 Crossword scratch-off game.

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