Lottery player thought they won a free ticket — but actually won much more in NJ
A New Jersey lottery player who initially thought they won a free ticket on a scratch-off, actually won much more.
The player was out to dinner with their spouse when they decided to buy some lottery tickets at a Nutley deli, New Jersey Lottery officials said in a June 2 news release.
“I go in and get a $10 ticket and a couple of the $3 Win for Life (tickets),” the player told lottery officials.
When the player scratched the ticket, “it just didn’t click” right away, they told lottery officials.
“I thought it was going to say ‘free ticket,’” the player said.
Much to their surprise, they scored a life-changing prize, totaling $1.5 million made over 25 annual payments, lottery officials said.
“I’m in shock,” the player said in the release. “It was just so random.”
The player said the prize will “really change our lives.”
“We’re always stressed about bills,” the player told lottery officials. “This makes life a lot easier.”
Nutley is about an 8-mile drive north from Newark.
This story was originally published June 2, 2025 at 4:08 PM with the headline "Lottery player thought they won a free ticket — but actually won much more in NJ."
