The winner found the golden ticket in an old pair of pants, according to New Jersey Lottery.
TRENTON, N.J. — A lucky lottery winner in New Jersey is $5.9 million richer after he found a winning ticket in an old pair of pants.
The New Jersey Lottery said its announcement in late April of an unclaimed ticket for the May 22, 2025, Pick-6 drawing set things in motion for the player. He decided to talk to employees of the store where the ticket was purchased, which was a frequent stop for him. The employees didn’t know who the winner was, only that only a few of their regular players opt for Pick-6 and told him to double-check his old tickets.
The player searched his house, looking in every spot he might have missed in an earlier search, New Jersey Lottery said.
“He checked every corner before finally going through his closet and checking every pants pocket possible,” the lottery said in a news release. “After checking a few pairs of pants, he finally found a crumpled Pick-6 ticket from last May.”
When the player arrived at the New Jersey Lottery Office on May 14, his ticket was eight days away from expiring.
The ticket was purchased at the Eisenhower Exxon, 550 Eaglerock Ave., in Roseland, New Jersey. The winning numbers were 20-21-30-31-42-44.
“As always, New Jersey Lottery reminds players to check their tickets,” the lottery said. “While jackpot prizes going unclaimed is rare, many small tickets sit unclaimed in drawers and pockets for months or years when they could be redeemed for cash.”