TRENTON (June 14, 2017) – Two New Jersey Lottery tickets matched all five balls drawn for the March 8, 2017 Jersey Cash 5 drawing. The $1,548,770 jackpot was the largest thus far for the calendar year. Joel Nipales from Jersey City purchased his ticket from Aivan Liquors, 112 Tonnelle Ave. in Jersey City and Apoorva Shah from Trenton purchased his at Lawrenceville Exxon, 2890 Brunswick Pike in Lawrenceville. Each ticket awarded the players $774,385 each. The winning numbers were 05, 11, 12, 13, and 29.

Nipales has played the same Jersey Cash 5 numbers for the last three years. According to Nipales, he purchased the ticket just an hour before that evening’s drawing before going to the theater with his wife. Later that night, he checked the numbers on his phone and could not believe what he saw. His numbers were a perfect match to the numbers drawn. Nipales said that the excitement of the win kept him awake most of the night. Lottery headquarters was his first destination the following day.

Nipales plans to spread the money out in as many ways as he can, putting some toward his son’s college fund, sending some to his family in the Philippines, and planning a trip to visit them for the first time in eight years.

Shah and his family like to play Jersey Cash 5 and other Lottery games together. They were completely overjoyed as they watched the draw together and saw the numbers on their ticket come up one after the other. They could not believe it, and checked multiple times online to make sure they weren’t mistaken.

Shah will make sure to apply some of the prize winnings to current bills and stay ahead of them for a while. The rest will be saved for the future.

ABOUT THE LOTTERY

Since its inception in 1970, the New Jersey Lottery (NJLottery.com) has contributed nearly $25 billion to the State in support of education and institutions.