Winning $5.9 million N.J. Lottery ticket found crumpled in pants pocket just days before expiring

It was down to the wire for one lucky New Jersey lottery winner. 

A winning $5.9 million Pick-6 lottery ticket was just eight days away from expiring. 

The ticket was purchased at an Exxon station in Roseland, N.J., on May 22, 2025. 

It turns out, the ticket had been sitting crumpled up in the pocket of a pair of pants. 

The lucky winner saw a report on the news about the expiring ticket last month, which included the location where the winning ticket was sold, according to lottery officials. He realized it was a regular stop for him. Employees at the gas station told him they only had a few regulars who bought Pick-6 tickets, and urged him to double-check everything. 

With $5.9 million up for grabs, he went back and searched his house. Sure enough, he found the ticket in the pocket of one of his pairs of pants.