You’re standing at the Wawa counter, staring at the screen. The Powerball jackpot is in the hundreds of millions, and honestly, it’s tempting. But if you actually want a realistic shot at seeing a check with your name on it, you should probably be looking at Jersey Cash 5.
It’s the local favorite for a reason. While the big national games are basically a mathematical impossibility, this little daily draw is designed for regular New Jersey residents to actually win. In fact, just this past January 10, 2026, a player in Middlesex County woke up nearly $2 million richer after hitting the jackpot.
How Jersey Cash 5 Works Right Now
The game changed quite a bit in July 2024. If you haven't played in a while, the old $1 tickets are gone. It’s now $2 per play. Some people weren’t thrilled about the price hike, but the NJ Lottery baked a new feature called "Bullseye" into that base price, which fundamentally changed the prize structure.
You pick five numbers from 1 to 45. That’s a smaller pool than most big games, which is why the odds of hitting the jackpot are about 1 in 1.22 million. Compare that to the 1 in 292 million you face with Powerball. It’s not even the same sport.
Every night at roughly 10:57 PM, they draw the five balls. The fifth ball drawn is designated as the Bullseye. This is where it gets interesting—if you match enough numbers and one of them is that Bullseye, your prize jumps significantly.
The Bullseye and XTRA: Are They Worth It?
Let’s be real: most people just want to know if they’re getting ripped off by the add-ons.
Since the 2024 update, Bullseye is mandatory. You don't have a choice. But you can still add "XTRA" for another $1. XTRA is basically a multiplier. After the main numbers are drawn, a separate XTRA multiplier (2x, 3x, 4x, or 5x) is selected.
If you match three or four numbers, that multiplier can turn a "coffee money" win into something that actually pays the electric bill.
- Match 3 numbers: You usually get $15. With an XTRA 5x multiplier, that's $75.
- Match 4 numbers: The base prize is $250. With Bullseye, it's $500. Add a 5x multiplier on top of that? Now you’re looking at $2,500.
The only thing XTRA doesn't touch is the jackpot. That rolling pot starts at $150,000 and grows every single day until someone hits it. We’ve seen it go as high as $3.8 million, which happened back in October 2025. Two lucky people split that one.
The Odds: A Reality Check
Nobody likes a lecture on math, but you've gotta know what you're up against. The overall odds of winning any prize in Jersey Cash 5 are 1 in 25.71. That’s actually pretty decent.
Here is how the tiers break down in plain English:
- The Jackpot (5 of 5): 1 in 1,221,759. You win the whole pot (or share it if others matched too).
- The 4-Number Match: Without Bullseye, it’s $250. With Bullseye, it’s $500.
- The 3-Number Match: Usually $15, but $30 if you hit the Bullseye.
- The 2-Number Match: You only win here if you hit the Bullseye or have the XTRA add-on. It usually pays out $5 or $2 respectively.
Most people don't realize that matching just two numbers with the Bullseye is a winner. It’s a small win, sure, but it pays for your next few tickets.
Why Do People Still Lose?
Most players fail because they treat the lottery like a savings account. It's not. It's entertainment.
One big mistake is playing "overdue" numbers. You’ll hear people at the deli saying, "The 12 hasn't come up in a month, it's due!" Honestly, the machine doesn't have a memory. Each drawing is a vacuum. The NJ Lottery uses different sets of balls and rotates them daily. They even have the Office of Weights and Measures certify them.
The balls don't know they haven't been picked lately.
Another trap is the "all-in" mentality. If the jackpot hits $1 million, people start buying 50 tickets. Statistically, buying 50 tickets in a 1-in-1.2-million game barely moves the needle. You're better off playing one ticket consistently than blowing $100 on a single night because you "feel lucky."
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Real Stories: The $2.8 Million Belford Win
Back in December 2025, a player at the One Stop Food Store in Belford (Middletown) hit for $2,849,336. That was the biggest individual win of the year.
What’s crazy is that the retailer got a $2,000 bonus just for selling the ticket. In New Jersey, if you win, the state takes its cut (8% for prizes over $10,000), and the Feds take 24%.
So, if you win a $1 million jackpot, don’t go out and buy a $1 million house. You’re actually taking home closer to $680,000. It’s still a life-changing chunk of change, but it’s good to keep the taxman in mind before you start popping champagne.
The Best Way to Play
If you’re going to play, do it the smart way.
First, consider a "Quick Pick." About 70% to 80% of lottery winners are Quick Picks. Why? Not because the machine is "luckier," but because most people pick numbers based on birthdays. Birthdays only go up to 31. If you only pick numbers between 1 and 31, and the winning numbers are 38, 42, and 45, you had zero chance of winning that jackpot.
Second, check your tickets. It sounds stupid, but millions of dollars go unclaimed every year in Trenton. In December 2025, the NJ Lottery had to issue a public warning because two $50,000 tickets were about to expire. You have exactly one year from the date of the drawing to claim your prize.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Ticket
Stop by a licensed retailer or use an official app before 10:53 PM. That’s the hard cutoff for the nightly drawing.
If you win more than $599.50, you can't just cash it at the gas station. You’ll need to file a claim form with the New Jersey Lottery Commission in Trenton. You can do this by mail, but for a jackpot, most people prefer to make an appointment and drop it off in person.
Keep your ticket in a safe place. Seriously. Sign the back of it immediately. In New Jersey, a lottery ticket is a "bearer instrument," which basically means whoever holds it, owns it. If you lose an unsigned winning ticket and someone else finds it, they can technically claim your millions.
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What to do now:
- Check your old tickets: Look for any draws from the last 12 months.
- Pick numbers above 31: Break the "birthday habit" to avoid splitting jackpots with dozens of other people.
- Sign the back: Do it the second the machine spits the ticket out.