New Jersey Lottery to begin reopening headquarters for in-person claims

Sep 10, 2020, 12:07 pm (2 comments)

New Jersey Lottery

Lottery will allow some in-person claims starting Monday

By Kate Northrop

Starting Monday, Sept. 14, 2020, the New Jersey Lottery will begin allowing players to file some claims in-person at Lottery headquarters in Lawrence by appointment only.

Since the closing of claims offices on March 19 affected the ability to claim winnings from tickets that were due to expire during the pandemic, in-person claims will resume in a limited capacity for tickets purchased between Mar. 19, 2019 and Sept. 30, 2019.

Players who fall into this category should call the NJ Lottery at 1-800-222-0996 to schedule an appointment to file their claim Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Those who show up to file claims in-person without an appointment will not be accepted during this period, and anyone filing a claim at headquarters must wear a mask or face covering.

Other winning tickets impacted by the closure may include tickets from scratch-off lottery games that ended between Mar. 19, 2019 and Sept. 30, 2019.

Additionally, the Lottery has extended the expiration date for all claims set to expire between Mar. 19, 2020 and Sept. 30, 2020.

Players should note that the Lottery does not immediately provide payouts for winning tickets at the appointment, rather they will validate the winning ticket in-person and mail payments later. Players who mail-in their claim or visit Lottery headquarters should expect to receive their check in four to six weeks.

The Lottery has also made a drop box available next to the lobby at headquarters, which is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

Players holding winning tickets worth less than $599.50 can immediately redeem them at any retailer while claims of $600 or more can be mailed in to be processed. Before mailing the claim, winners are encouraged to make a copy of their signed ticket and claim form, downloadable from the official NJ Lottery website. Claims should be mailed to the following address:

New Jersey Lottery
Attn: Validations
P.O. Box 041
Trenton, NJ 08625-0041

Lottery Post Staff

Comments

DELotteryPlyr's avatarDELotteryPlyr

I am thinking Todd picked up the phone and said 'I think its time to open up for IN PERSON claims'  And they jumped and made it so! 

jplayer33

I hit the New Jersey Lottery Pick 4 straight in May and submitted my claim form within two days by USPS overnight mail. I did not receive a check until the end of July. in the weeks in between, no one ever answered the lottery customer service number and no messages were ever returned. Emails were also not answered. So I had no way of knowing what was going on with my claim. I know COVID-19 played a big role in the delay, but nearly three months for payment is unacceptable when we must pay INSTANTLY anytime we play the New Jersey Lottery. And the Lottery should have perhaps hired temps to answer the phones to the many lottery players who I heard flooded the call center regarding their claims, so many that the Lottery posted on its website asking folks to email instead.

Because the private company hired by New Jersey to operate the lottery cannot fully process payments - the money comes from the state and the state must actually process and payout claims - it usually takes about a month to get paid, far longer than any state lottery I know. In places like Delaware, D.C. and Maryland claims are paid the same day by check when you file a claim in person. Anyway, it seems that things are finally getting back to a reasonable time period for payment. I have mostly been playing multiple box Pick 4 tickets to avoid having to make a claim on a straight ticket even though it costs more than a fifty cents straight ticket. And although some might say at least the check is in the mail and you will get paid eventually, it really is not fair to us players who contribute millions to the lottery monthly to have to wait for weeks and weeks the few times that we are lucky to win an amount above $599.

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