History of New Jersey Lottery in Timeline
The New Jersey Lottery, operated by the state of New Jersey, offers a variety of draw games. These include in-house games like Pick-3, Pick-4, Jersey Cash 5, Pick-6, Quick Draw, and Cash Pop. It also participates in multi-jurisdictional games such as Cash4Life, Mega Millions, and Powerball. Besides draw games, the lottery sells Fast Play and scratch-off tickets. The New Jersey Lottery is headquartered in Lawrence Township, Mercer County.
May 22, 1975: Pick-3 Launch
On May 22, 1975, Pick-3, a three-digit draw game, was launched as a daily game, becoming the first game in the nation where players could choose their own numbers and play type.
June 16, 1975: Instant Games Offered
Since June 16, 1975, the New Jersey has offered numerous scratchcard games, called "Instant Games", with various price points, prizes, formats and themes.
July 9, 1977: Pick-4 Introduced
On July 9, 1977, the Pick-4 game, a four-digit draw, was introduced as a weekly game.
February 6, 1980: Lottery Bingo Launched
On February 6, 1980, Lottery Bingo, a Pick 5 style game, was launched. Drawings were held on Wednesdays.
May 9, 1980: Pick-6 Launch
On May 9, 1980, Pick-6 began as one of the first games of its kind in the US, requiring players to pick 6 of 36 numbers.
July 29, 1981: Lottery Bingo Ended
On July 29, 1981, Lottery Bingo was discontinued.
June 1984: Pick-6 Changed to 6/39
In June 1984, Pick-6 was changed to a 6/39 format.
February 1986: Pick-6 Changed to 6/42
In February 1986, Pick-6 transitioned to a 6/42 matrix.
1987: Pick-it Changes Name to Pick-3
In 1987, the game originally known as Pick-it changed its name to Pick-3 to distinguish it from the newer Pick-4 game.
January 11, 1988: 5 Card Lotto Offered
On January 11, 1988, New Jersey Lottery introduced 5 Card Lotto, a terminal-based, all-cash lottery game designed to offer higher prize potential than Pick-3 and Pick-4 games.
January 1989: Pick-6 Changed to 6/46
In January 1989, Pick-6 underwent an additional change to a 6/46 matrix, increasing the possibility of higher jackpots.
March 10, 1990: End of Limited Run Lottery Game
On March 10, 1990, a limited run lottery game concluded, having been played since February 3. The format, prize structure, and draw frequency of the game are unknown.
September 18, 1990: 5 Card Lotto Ended
On September 18, 1990, New Jersey Lottery discontinued the original 5 Card Lotto game.
September 20, 1992: Jersey Cash 5 Launch
On September 20, 1992, Jersey Cash 5 was launched as a pick-5-of-38 game where players won a parimutuel prize by matching at least three numbers.
1992: Powerball Game Begins
In 1992, the multi-lottery game Powerball began.
September 6, 1996: The Big Game Launched
On September 6, 1996, six lotteries began a multi-jurisdictional game, then known as The Big Game.
1997: Pick-6 Cash Option Introduced
In 1997, Pick-6 introduced a cash option, which applied only to the "regular" game. The "bonus" drawing still meant receiving mandatory annuity payments.
June 14, 1998: LOTZEE Game Offered
On June 14, 1998, the LOTZEE game was introduced, initially drawn once a week on Saturdays before expanding to include a Wednesday drawing.
May 1999: New Jersey Lottery Joins The Big Game
In May 1999, the New Jersey Lottery became a member of The Big Game.
September 2000: Pick-6 Adopts 6/49 Format
In September 2000, Pick-6 adopted the 6/49 format, adding a $3 prize for matching three numbers.
2000: Pick-6 Bonus Number Drawing Changes
Until 2000, Pick-6 drawings included a five-digit "bonus" number; an exact match entered the player into a special drawing where the top prize was $50,000 yearly in 20 installments, with no cash option.
November 2001: Pick-3 Midday Drawings Introduced
In November 2001, Pick-3 introduced midday drawings, adding another opportunity for players to participate in the game.
November 2001: Pick-4 Becomes Twice-Daily Game
In November 2001, Pick-4 transitioned to a twice-daily game, increasing the frequency of drawings.
2001: Power Play Option Introduced
In 2001, the Power Play option was introduced for the Powerball game, costing $2 per game.
May 2002: The Big Game Renamed Mega Millions
In May 2002, The Big Game became known as The Big Game Mega Millions; a short time later, The Big Game was dropped from the name.
2002: Number Range Change in LOTZEE
In 2002, the number range for LOTZEE players changed from choosing 4 numbers from 00 to 99 to choosing 4 numbers from 00 to 76.
September 13, 2003: LOTZEE Game Discontinued
On September 13, 2003, the LOTZEE game was discontinued due to unpopularity with players.
September 2003: Jersey Cash 5 Game Changes
In September 2003, Jersey Cash 5 added two numbers to become a 5/40 game, and the top prize level was changed to a progressive jackpot.
October 13, 2009: Mega Millions and Powerball Cross-Sell Agreement
On October 13, 2009, the Mega Millions consortium and Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) reached an agreement in principle to cross-sell Mega Millions and Powerball in U.S. lottery jurisdictions.
January 31, 2010: Cross-Sell Expansion of Mega Millions and Powerball
On January 31, 2010, many MUSL members joined Mega Millions, and most Mega Millions members added Powerball. New Jersey offered both games as of this date.
March 13, 2010: New Jersey Produces First Powerball Jackpot Ticket
On March 13, 2010, New Jersey became the first previously Mega Millions-only jurisdiction to produce a jackpot ticket for Powerball after the cross-sell expansion. The annuity value of the jackpot was over $211 million; the ticket was sold in Morris Plains.
January 2011: Megaplier Option Available in New Jersey
During January 2011, the Megaplier option, initially available only in Texas, became available to Mega Millions players in New Jersey.
July 1, 2011: Lottery Drawings Streamed Live
On July 1, 2011, the New Jersey Lottery became the first lottery in the nation to stream their drawings live from the New Jersey Lottery's headquarters on their website or Ustream channel.
September 6, 2011: Drawings Returned to TV Broadcast
On September 6, 2011, New Jersey Lottery drawings returned to broadcast on television on NJTV on a one-hour tape delay, while live drawings continued to be held at the Lottery's headquarters and broadcast online.
January 15, 2012: Powerball Format Change and Price Increase
On January 15, 2012, the most recent format change for Powerball included a price increase; games are $2 each, or $3 with Power Play. The minimum jackpot was doubled, to $40 million.
June 4, 2012: Live Drawings Moved to Livestream
On June 4, 2012, the live drawings from the New Jersey Lottery's Ustream channel moved to Livestream.
January 1, 2013: Lottery Drawings Returned to Broadcast Television
On January 1, 2013, the New Jersey Lottery drawings returned to broadcast television on WLNY and WPSG-TV, both owned by CBS. These were the first lottery drawings to be aired on commercial television.
June 13, 2014: New Jersey Begins Sales of Cash4Life
On June 13, 2014, New York and New Jersey began sales of Cash4Life, which replaced Sweet Million in New York.
July 1, 2014: Lottery Drawings Moved to WPIX and WPHL
On July 1, 2014, the New Jersey Lottery live drawings moved to WPIX/channel 11 (New York City) and WPHL/channel 17 (Philadelphia), both formerly owned by Tribune Broadcasting. Also, Erica Young was introduced as the new draw host.
September 14, 2014: Jersey Cash 5 Field Increase
On September 14, 2014, Jersey Cash 5 increased its field of numbers from 40 to 43 and became a 5/43 game. Its estimated starting jackpot prize was also increased - from $50,000 to $75,000.
October 19, 2014: Monopoly Millionaires' Club Began
On October 19, 2014, Monopoly Millionaires' Club began, with its only jackpot winner purchased in New Jersey.
December 2014: Monopoly Millionaires' Club Sales Suspended
In December 2014, it was announced that sales of Monopoly Millionaires' Club were to be suspended due to low sales among the 23 members.
2015: Introduction of Fast Play Games
In 2015, the New Jersey Lottery introduced Fast Play games, instant games similar to scratchcards but generated by the lottery terminal.
2015: Pick-6 Adds "XTRA" Option
On January 22nd, 2015, Pick-6 added its "XTRA" option (an additional $1 per play per drawing). Matching five, four, or three of the six numbers means the basic parimutuel prize is multiplied by the "XTRA" number.
May 16, 2016: 5 Card Cash Revived
On May 16, 2016, 5 Card Cash was revived. Each play cost $2 and offered two plays: "Win Now" (an instant match game) and "Win Tonight" (a nightly jackpot drawing). An additional "All In" bet was also available.
October 3, 2016: "Xtra" Feature Added to Jersey Cash 5
On October 3, 2016, the "Xtra" feature was added to Jersey Cash 5, giving players the opportunity to multiply their non-jackpot winnings up to 5 times by matching 3 or 4 out of 5 numbers. If a player matches 2 out of 5 numbers with the "Xtra" feature, they win $2.
February 19, 2017: So Close Play Type Discontinued
On February 19, 2017, the NJ Lottery discontinued the "So Close" play type for Pick-3 and Pick-4 games, prior to the introduction of the Fireball feature.
February 27, 2017: Fireball Feature Added to Pick-3 and Pick-4
On February 27, 2017, the Fireball feature was added to Pick-3 and Pick-4 games, giving players an additional opportunity to create winning combinations by replacing one of the drawn numbers with the Fireball number.
May 15, 2017: Doubler NJ Added to Cash4Life
On May 15, 2017, Doubler NJ (available only in New Jersey) can be added to each Cash4Life play for $1 extra. All non-"for Life" prizes double winnings.
July 17, 2017: Quick Draw Launched
On July 17, 2017, Quick Draw, a keno-style draw game, was launched with drawings every four minutes from 5:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.
May 11, 2018: Erica Young's Final Drawing and End of Midday TV Broadcasts
On May 11, 2018, Erica Young hosted her final New Jersey Lottery drawing, and the lottery announced it would no longer televise midday drawings on WPIX & WPHL.
May 14, 2018: Lauren Berman Introduced as New Draw Host
On May 14, 2018, Lauren Berman was introduced as New Jersey Lottery's new draw host.
September 30, 2018: Quick Draw Availability Limited
Up until September 30, 2018, Quick Draw was only offered at a limited number of lottery retailers (who have an HDTV monitor) showing each drawing.
October 1, 2018: Quick Draw's Bullseye Feature Launched
On October 1, 2018, Quick Draw's Bullseye feature was launched, and the Quick Draw ePlayslip was also launched, making the game available through all New Jersey Lottery retailers, with the live drawings displayed on each lottery terminal, HDTV monitors, the NJ Lottery app and website.
July 1, 2019: Cash4Life Game Expansion
As of July 1, 2019, Cash4Life is offered by nine state lotteries and is drawn nightly.
September 30, 2019: Cash Pop Launched
The Cash Pop game launched on September 30, 2019. Players select how much to wager; $1, $2, $5, or $10. Players choose from 1 to 15 numbers; the "cover all" option guarantees a win.
May 3, 2020: 5 Card Cash Ended
On May 3, 2020, 5 Card Cash was discontinued.
May 4, 2020: 5 Card Cash Temporarily Suspended
On May 4, 2020, the 5 Card Cash game was temporarily suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
June 22, 2020: End of Broadcast Drawings on WPIX and WPHL
On June 22, 2020, the New Jersey State Lottery announced it would no longer broadcast drawings on WPIX and WPHL, but still live stream them online. The evening drawings moved from 7:57 pm to 10:57 pm.
June 29, 2020: Jersey Cash 5 Jackpot and Field Increase
On June 29, 2020, the starting jackpot for Jersey Cash 5 was increased from $75,000 to $100,000 and increased its field of numbers from 43 to 45.
October 5, 2020: 5 Card Cash Officially Ended
New Jersey Lottery officially ended 5 Card Cash on October 5, 2020, after a temporary suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
October 16, 2020: New Poker-Themed Fast Play Game Launched
On October 16, 2020, a new poker-themed version of the game was launched as a Fast Play Progressive game, with the remaining "All In" prize pool carried forward into the Fast Play progressive Jackpot.
June 7, 2021: Quick Draw Multiplier Feature Launched
On June 7, 2021, the Multiplier feature was launched for Quick Draw, giving players the opportunity to multiply their winnings up to 10 times.
April 7, 2022: Pick-6 Game Changes
On April 7, 2022, the Pick-6 game matrix scaled back to 6/46, the price increased to $2 per play, and a new Double Play feature was added, giving players an additional chance to win up to $250,000.
June 27, 2022: Cash Pop Drawings Frequency Increased
Since Monday, June 27, 2022, Cash Pop drawings take place every 4 minutes instead of every 15 minutes.
November 14, 2022: Pick 3 Prize Structure Changes
As of November 14, 2022, the New Jersey Lottery began paying winners fixed prize amounts for Pick 3 tickets matching the winning numbers for their chosen play type, switching from a parimutuel basis.
March 26, 2024: Record Mega Millions Prize Won in New Jersey
On March 26, 2024, the largest prize won on a ticket sold in New Jersey was for the Mega Millions drawing, with an annuity value of approximately $1.128 billion. The ticket was sold in Neptune Township.
July 1, 2024: Jersey Cash 5 Changes
On July 1, 2024, Jersey Cash 5 underwent major changes including a ticket price increase to $2 per play, the addition of the new Bullseye feature and a starting jackpot increase to $150,000. The game’s instant match feature was also discontinued, but the “Xtra” feature will continue.
2025: Pick-6 adds Saturday Drawing
On July 12th, 2025, the New Jersey lottery added a Saturday drawing to allow for more excitement in the game with bigger jackpots to happen more frequently.
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