TRENTON (March 19, 2020) – To mitigate further spread of COVID-19 the New Jersey Lottery’s front office is temporarily closed for the collection of walk-in claims.
The front office will be closed for two weeks, from March 19 until April 3, while we review and revise our protocols for paying claims.
Claims less than $599.50 can still be immediately redeemed at any retailer and mailed claims will still be processed in the regular course of business.
Winners should make copies of their claim form and the winning ticket before placing it in the mail.
All properly validated mailed claims will be paid, however payments may be temporarily delayed.
The Lottery Commission approved today a rule modification extending the expiration date of tickets.
The expiration date for all claims set to expire between March 19, 2020, and April 5, 2020 will be extended for an additional 30 days from the date of expiration.
For example, a winning ticket that was purchased on March 31, 2019 would normally expire within one (1) year from the date of purchase on March 31, 2020.
Due to the extension, the claim in this example will not expire until April 30, 2020. The expiration date of winning tickets may again be extended based on current events.
Any player who prefers to wait to present their claim in person should sign the back of the ticket and keep it in a safe place.
Retailers who are hand delivering payments to the Lottery should make an appointment with a Lottery representative before traveling to Lottery headquarters.