MORRIS COUNTY, N.J. (PIX11) – A New Jersey man, months away from retiring, won big bucks after purchasing a scratch-off ticket at a local grocery store, the New Jersey Lottery announced.
“I was having a bad day. I was running around town and just stopped at Wolfson’s,” said the winner. “I play there once in a blue moon. I usually go across the street. I figured I deserved something. You know, like $100.”
The player won well over $100 but could not see the full amount because he forgot his glasses.
“I can’t tell the difference between fours and nines without my glasses. I had to look at the card like 10 times,” the player said. “I thought I must be misreading something.”
Fortunately, the lucky player had his friend, who confirmed that his ticket had many zeros associated with it.
The player's entire prize was $1 million. He picked out a lucky $20 100X Cash Blitz on what he called “one of those days.”
“I was just hoping for like $500 to be able to buy some Christmas presents for people,” he added.
The unknown player, not identified by the New Jersey Lottery service, also forgot his glasses when he completed the paperwork to claim his winning prize. However, he managed to get his paperwork to accept the $602,300 cash value of the prize.
“At least I can say I was a millionaire for a day,” the player joked.
The player has been unable to work and is collecting disability while recovering from shoulder surgery. He is also the caretaker of his mother, who is in her 90s.
“This couldn’t have come at a better time,” the player’s friend said.
Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here.
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