Buy a ticket and get in the game; 2018 could be your lucky year!

TRENTON (Jan. 2, 2018) – Tonight’s Mega Millions $361 million jackpot is providing an exciting start to a new year for lottery players in New Jersey and nationwide. “You have to be in it to win it,” said New Jersey Lottery Acting Executive Director John M. White, “so buy your ticket early and get in the game.”

The chance is here to become one of 2018’s newest multi-millionaires for someone lucky enough to hold the winning ticket for tonight’s big Mega Millions jackpot. Lottery players across New Jersey are rushing to retailer locations to make their purchase of a ticket that could lead to “good fortune” in the new year.

Although there were no Mega Millions game jackpot or second-tier New Jersey prizewinners. There were five third-tier prizewinning tickets sold that matched four of the five white balls and the Gold Mega Ball drawn winning the $10,000 prize. Those tickets were purchased at the following locations:

• Bergen County: Exxon on the Run, 1175 Palisades Ave., Fort Lee;
• Bergen County: Union Food Mart, 233 Union St., Lodi;
• Mercer County: Shoprite #514, 1750 North Olden Ave., Ewing;
• Ocean County: Circle K #2523, 918 Radio Rd., Little Egg Harbor Township; and,
• Somerset County: Liquor Outlet, 3391 Route 27, Suite 128, Franklin Park.

If those tickets had been purchased with the Megaplier option, the prizes would have been multiplied to $20,000. The winning numbers for the Friday, Dec. 29 drawing were: 04, 10, 18, 28 and 62. The Gold Mega Ball was 07, and the Megaplier Multiplier was 02.

In addition, 80 other players matched four of the five white balls drawn making each ticket worth $500. Nine of those tickets were purchased with the Megaplier option, multiplying the prize to $1,000. Moreover, 98,456 other New Jersey players took home $384,230 in prizes ranging from $2 to $400, according to White.

“Congratulations to the lottery winners and to the retailers that sold the winning tickets,” said White. “For selling the winning tickets, the retailers have become many more Lottery ‘lucky locations’ overnight.”

The next drawing will be held Tuesday, Jan. 2 at 11:00 pm. All New Jersey Lottery Mega Millions tickets must be purchased before 10:45 pm to participate in the drawing. Mega Millions tickets cost just two dollars; by adding the Megaplier option for an extra dollar per play, players can increase their non-jackpot winnings up to five times. Mega Millions tickets are sold in 46 participating jurisdictions. Drawings are held on Tuesdays and Fridays.

View all New Jersey Lottery game winning numbers and drawings for the Pick-3, Pick-4, Jersey Cash 5, Pick-6, CASH4LIFE and 5 Card Cash games on the Lottery website (www.NJLottery.com) or on the official Lottery Facebook Page. Midday and evening draws, with the exception of CASH4LIFE and 5 Card Cash, can be seen on WPIX-TV (PIX11) in New York and WPHL-TV (PHL17) in Philadelphia. Powerball and Mega Millions drawings can be seen on WABC-TV or WTXF stations.