US: Man Finds Forgotten USD 5.9 Million Lottery Ticket in Old Pants Days Before Expiry
A man from New Jersey claimed an USD 5.9 million lottery jackpot after discovering a forgotten Pick-6 ticket hidden inside an old pair of pants just days before its expiry. The winning ticket had remained unclaimed for nearly a year until lottery officials issued a public reminder, prompting the man to search his belongings and uncover the crumpled ticket in his closet.
A man from New Jersey narrowly avoided losing a multi-million-dollar lottery prize after discovering a forgotten ticket worth USD 5.9 million (approximately INR 57.11 crore) hidden inside an old pair of pants just days before the claim deadline expired.
According to People Magazine, the man had purchased the Pick-6 lottery ticket in May last year from a gas station he regularly visited. However, shortly after buying it, he misplaced the ticket and completely forgot about it for nearly a year. Mega Million Winning Numbers: Illinois Ticket Wins USD 533 Million Mega Millions Jackpot.
Last month, lottery officials publicly announced that a jackpot-winning Pick-6 ticket remained unclaimed and would soon expire. The announcement caught the man’s attention because the winning ticket had been sold at a petrol station he frequently visited.
Curious about the possibility, he reportedly returned to the station and spoke with employees there. Staff members told him that only a small number of regular customers usually played the Pick-6 game and advised him to thoroughly search his belongings. Mega Millions Jackpot: California Lottery Player Wins USD 1.22 Billion, 5th Largest Ever.
Ticket Found Inside Old Clothes
The man then began checking drawers, shelves and storage areas throughout his home in an attempt to locate the missing ticket. Eventually, while searching through old clothes in his closet, he found the crumpled lottery ticket tucked inside the pocket of an old pair of pants. After verifying the numbers, he realised the ticket was the jackpot-winning entry worth USD 5.9 million.
Prize Claimed Just Before Deadline
The winner immediately travelled to lottery headquarters and successfully claimed the prize just eight days before the ticket was set to expire.
Lottery officials later reminded people to regularly check old lottery tickets, noting that many prizes go unclaimed because players forget where they stored them. In several US states, lottery tickets have fixed claim periods, after which unclaimed prize money is redirected according to state lottery regulations.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 20, 2026 05:47 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).