You’ve been there. It’s Tuesday night, maybe around 11:00 PM, and you’re staring at a crumpled slip of paper from a Wawa in Cherry Hill or a bodega in Jersey City. You’re looking for the mega million numbers for new jersey because, let’s be honest, the dream of never seeing your boss again is a powerful motivator. But checking those numbers usually leads to more questions than answers.
Did you actually win something? How do the multipliers work now? And why does it feel like New Jersey has better luck than most other states?
📖 Related: Finding the Lakeside Crystal Cave: Why This Liurnia Dungeon Is More Than Just a Loot Grab
Honestly, the Garden State is a bit of a statistical anomaly when it comes to the lottery. It’s not just your imagination; New Jersey consistently ranks as one of the luckiest spots for big payouts. Just this past week, on Friday, January 16, 2026, the numbers 02, 22, 33, 42, 67 and the Mega Ball 01 rolled out of the machine. If you had those, you’re looking at a share of a massive jackpot. If not, well, the next drawing is Tuesday, and the estimated jackpot is already sitting at a cool $250 million.
The Most Recent Drawing Details
If you’re holding a ticket from the Friday, January 16, 2026 drawing, here is the breakdown of what happened. The white balls were 02, 22, 33, 42, 67. The gold Mega Ball was 01.
New Jersey players often forget to check the Megaplier. For this specific draw, it was 2X.
Basically, if you didn’t hit the jackpot but matched five white balls, that Megaplier just turned your $1 million prize into $2 million. It’s a small extra cost when you buy the ticket, but it’s the difference between "nice vacation" money and "retire tomorrow" money.
Recent Winning Numbers and Payouts
Looking back at the last few weeks in NJ:
- January 13, 2026: 09, 39, 47, 58, 68 / Mega Ball: 24
- January 9, 2026: 06, 13, 34, 43, 52 / Mega Ball: 04
- December 30, 2025: 18, 43, 49, 63, 69 / Mega Ball: 06
The crazy thing is that a Hudson County player actually nabbed a $90 million jackpot just a few weeks ago on December 2, 2025. That’s the "Jersey Luck" people talk about.
🔗 Read more: Mario Kart World Birdo: Why She’s Finally Getting the Respect She Deserves
Why New Jersey Is a Mega Millions Hotspot
Statistically, every ticket has the same odds. We know this. It’s 1 in 302,575,350 for the jackpot. Yet, New Jersey keeps popping up in the winner's gallery. Why?
Part of it is sheer volume. New Jersey has one of the highest densities of lottery retailers in the country. You can't throw a rock without hitting a place that sells tickets.
But there’s also the Jackpot Was Hit! promotion that’s currently running in NJ. Since the jackpot was recently reset, the New Jersey Lottery is doing something specific: if you buy three plays on a single ticket, you often get a free $5 Quick Pick for the next draw. This runs through June 30, 2026. It keeps the momentum going even when the jackpot isn't at a billion dollars.
Checking Your Ticket Without Losing Your Mind
Most people just Google the numbers and hope for the best. That’s fine for the jackpot, but you might be tossing away $500 or $1,000 without realizing it. New Jersey has nine different ways to win.
- Just the Mega Ball: You get $2. It covers the cost of the ticket (sorta).
- 1 White Ball + Mega Ball: Still $4.
- 3 White Balls: That’s $10.
- Match 5 (No Mega Ball): $1 Million. This is where the Megaplier really earns its keep.
The official NJ Lottery app is actually decent. You can scan the barcode on your ticket with your phone camera. It’s way faster than squinting at a screen and manually comparing digits. If you’re old school, the drawings are broadcast live at 11:00 PM ET on Tuesday and Friday nights.
✨ Don't miss: Overwatch World of Warcraft skins: Why these crossovers actually work
The Strategy Myth: Hot and Cold Numbers
People love patterns. They’ll look at a frequency chart and see that the number 31 has been drawn over 100 times in the last few years, while a number like 67 shows up less often.
Here is the truth: the balls don't have a memory.
Just because 11 is the most common Mega Ball (it’s been drawn dozens of times more than others), doesn't mean it’s "due" or "hot." Every single draw is a fresh start. However, if you like to play the numbers that have historically appeared more in NJ drawings, 17, 3, 10, and 20 are the ones that have popped up the most since the game's last major format change.
Tax Realities for NJ Winners
If you do hit those mega million numbers for new jersey, the state is going to want its cut. NJ is actually somewhat aggressive here compared to places like Florida or Texas.
- Federal Withholding: 24% (automatically taken for prizes over $5,000).
- State Tax: New Jersey takes about 8% on high-tier winnings.
- Total Hit: Expect to lose about one-third of your "advertised" prize to taxes immediately.
Also, New Jersey allows winners to remain anonymous for prizes over $600 since a law change in 2020. This is huge. It means if you hit that $250 million on Tuesday, you don't have to go on a press tour and deal with every "long-lost cousin" coming out of the woodwork.
Actionable Steps for the Next Drawing
Don't just buy a ticket and hope. If you're playing in New Jersey, do it smart.
- Use the App: Download the official NJ Lottery app to scan tickets. It prevents "human error" where you miss a $100 win because you were only looking for the jackpot.
- Check the Megaplier: If you’re playing the "Match 5" game, always spend the extra dollar for the Megaplier. It turns a million into multiples.
- Pool with Caution: If you're doing an office pool in Jersey City or Newark, get a written agreement. New Jersey courts have seen plenty of "handshake" deals go south when a ticket actually hits.
- Set a Limit: It’s a game. The odds are long. Only play what you’d spend on a coffee or a quick lunch.
The next drawing is Tuesday night at 11:00 PM. Get your tickets before the 10:45 PM cutoff, or you’re stuck waiting for Friday. Keep that ticket in a safe spot—preferably not in your sun visor where the heat can fade the thermal ink—and good luck. It's about time another Jersey resident made the news for the right reasons.