New Jersey Lottery Announces Ninth Consecutive Year Exceeding $1 Billion Contribution to Pension Fund

TRENTON, N.J. (July 16, 2026) – New Jersey Lottery Executive Director James A. Carey announced today that the Lottery contributed $1.01 billion to the state pension fund for fiscal year 2026, marking nine consecutive years of contributions exceeding $1 billion and reinforcing the Lottery’s sustained role in supporting New Jersey’s teachers, police officers, firefighters, and other public employees.

The Lottery generated $3.49 billion in sales for the fiscal year ending June 30, a 4.6 percent increase over the previous year, with players taking home $2.1 billion in prizes.

“For nearly a decade, the Lottery has consistently delivered over $1 billion annually to support the pension system,” said Carey. “This year’s contribution forms part of Governor Mikie Sherrill’s full pension payment, the sixth consecutive year of full funding after decades of shortfalls. The Lottery continues to demonstrate its value as a reliable revenue source for the state."

The total contribution of $1.01 billion is expected to grow once year-end accounting is completed.

Strong Performance Across Core Games

Scratch-Offs remained the Lottery’s most popular product, generating $1.9 billion in sales, up 1.6 percent from the previous year. The Lottery continued expanding its Instant Game portfolio with Jersey-themed offerings, including “Jersey Dog,” which featured real Garden State canines and resonated with players.

Pick-3 with Fireball was the largest selling draw game with $373.2 million in sales, down 1.8 percent from the previous year. Pick-4 with Fireball posted $219.4 million in sales, which was down 3.2 percent.Powerball delivered the year’s most dramatic turnaround, with sales of $315.9 million, an 89.4 percent surge that represents a historic shift in player preferences. For the first time, Powerball sales exceeded Pick-4. The increase was partly fueled by two jackpots over $1 billion during the fiscal year.

Jersey Cash 5 continued its upward trajectory with $186.0 million in sales, a 6.2 percent increase. Players won an impressive 67 jackpots during the year, with 13 of those exceeding $1 million and prizes reaching as high as $3.4 million.

Quick Draw Progressive posted sales of $84.58 million, down slightly by 1.8 percent. The Cash Pop game grew 11 percent to $74.91 million, while Fast Play Progressive showed strong growth with sales of $54.22 million, up 16.2 percent. The Fast Play game was aided by large progressive jackpots reaching as high as $735,065, appealing to players looking for the fastest way to win.

More Winners, Bigger Dreams

New Jersey players had 209 reasons to celebrate with prizes of $100,000 or more, up from 180 the previous year. Of those winners, 75 claimed prizes of $1 million or higher.

This year’s top prizes included a $90 million Mega Millions jackpot, a $22 million Pick-6 jackpot, a $12.3 million Pick-6 jackpot, a $7 million Cash 4 Life prize, and a $6.5 million Pick-6 prize. The Lottery’s new game, Millionaire for Life, awarded its first second-tier prize of $100,000 a year for life (guaranteed minimum of $2.2 million).

Scratch-Off players also won big, with a $5 million winner on $5,000,000 Fortune, the highest Instant Game prize among New Jersey Lottery offerings and a $4 million winner on 200X Cash Blitz.

Two remarkable anomalies captured public attention during the year: during the week of September 1, 2025, 34 winners from 18 of New Jersey’s 21 counties claimed prizes in various games ranging from $10,000 to $1 million in an unprecedented cluster of wins. Then on April 29, 2026, a single Powerball drawing produced 89 second-tier millionaires nationwide, with 18 of them in New Jersey, four of whom purchased the Power Play option to boost their winnings to $2 million each.

Navigating a Competitive Landscape

While overall sales increased, the Lottery continued adapting to New Jersey’s evolving gaming environment. Mega Millions sales declined 22.36 percent to $146.92 million. The previous year saw one jackpot exceed $1 billion, fiscal year 2026 had none. The Lottery also faces a more crowded gaming landscape from online sports betting, casinos, and emerging prediction markets, which are all competing for discretionary spending.

“We’re committed to innovation and meeting players where they are,” said Carey. “Our partnership with Northstar New Jersey Lottery continues to explore fresh approaches to game design, marketing, and player engagement.”

Economic Impact

More than 6,500 New Jersey businesses, many of them small family-owned establishments, earned $200 million in commissions and $2.5 million in bonuses for selling winning top-tier tickets during fiscal year 2026.

Since its launch in 1970, the Lottery has contributed more than $35.7 billion to support state programs and services. Under a 30-year agreement enacted in 2017, Lottery profits fund the public employee pension system.

Northstar New Jersey Lottery Group did not meet agreed-upon performance targets for fiscal year 2026 and will owe a shortfall payment to the State. The calculation will be finalized upon completion of the Lottery’s financial audit.

The New Jersey Lottery is committed to transparency in its financial reporting and on its website. Audited financial reports can be found here.