A representative from the New Jersey Lottery said a customer recently completed the process to claim a Pick-6 prize worth $5,9 million on midday 14/5.

The ticket was sold on 22/5/2025 at the Eisenhower Exxon gas station in Essex county. According to regulations, winners have one year to claim their prize. In late April 2026, as the prize neared its expiration, the lottery authority issued a notice searching for the winner.

Unaware of the customer's identity, gas station staff advised regular customers who bought Pick-6 tickets to check their homes. Upon hearing the news, the man searched and found the lottery ticket in the pocket of an old pair of pants under a dresser.

Mildred Simoneriluto, 76, from Pennsylvania, lost a ,5 million lottery ticket purchased in 5/2024. *Photo: WTAE*

A representative from the New Jersey Lottery stated that players forgetting prize tickets in clothing pockets or drawers is common, but it rarely happens with a jackpot.

Indeed, many people have lost money due to careless habits. In 5/2024, Mildred Simoneriluto, 76, from Pennsylvania, discovered she had won a Cash 5 prize worth $2,5 million two weeks after the drawing. She had placed the ticket in an old jacket to avoid forgetting it, but later accidentally donated the jacket to a charity.

The woman returned to the lottery retailer about 100 times, but staff refused assistance due to the lack of the original ticket. "I have no words to describe my own mistake", Simoneriluto recounted.

Minh Phuong (According to People, NyPost)