The winner of a $1.13 billion Mega Millions drawing remains unknown to lottery officials six months to the day after the winning numbers were drawn.
Lottery officials know the billion dollar ticket was sold by a Neptune Township ShopRite liquor store the day of the drawing. That single-ticket winner has another six months to come forward and can do so anonymously.
The New Jersey Lottery website posted a reminder Thursday hoping to get the attention of the potential grossworth billionaire, who may be unaware of their good fortune.
“Today, six months since the drawing, the prize remains unclaimed,” that notice says. “The cash value of the ticket is an estimated $537.5 million.”
That total reflects what the winner would take home after taxes if they chose a lump-sum payment. If no one comes forward, the winnings will be returned to the 45 participating states that sell Mega Millions tickets to be repurposed in different ways, according to contest rules.
Odds of hitting the lucky numbers on the unclaimed ticket were 1 in 302.6 million. The Route 66 store that sold the ticket gets $30,000 for its efforts. That ShopRite donates its cut of winnings to the Jersey Shore food bank Fulfill, according to the Associated Press.
That $1.13 billion prize was the eighth largest in lottery history at the time of the drawing. There had been 30 straight Mega Millions drawings without a grand prize winner prior to the March 26 pull that produced the mystery ticket.