New Jersey Lottery sales dropped nearly 8% in the 2025 fiscal year, totaling $3.3 billion—down from $3.6 billion the year prior—according to unaudited revenue figures from state officials.
The decline was largely due to a lack of massive multistate jackpots. Only one Mega Millions or Powerball prize topped $1 billion in FY2025, compared to five such jackpots the previous year.
Despite the dip, the lottery still paid out $2 billion in prizes and contributed nearly $1 billion to New Jersey’s public-worker pension fund, as required by state law. That number is expected to surpass $1 billion once interest income is added.
Over 6,500 retail partners across the state earned nearly $196 million in commissions and an additional $2.1 million in bonuses for selling top-tier winning tickets.
While scratch-off tickets remained flat at $1.8 billion in sales, games like Jersey Cash 5 and Cash Pop saw growth, with year-over-year increases of over 26% and 10%, respectively. However, traditional numbers games like Pick-3 and Pick-4 saw declines.
Lottery officials noted increased competition from online sports betting and casino gaming, calling it an “evolving gambling environment” that challenges traditional lottery revenue streams.
Due to the underperformance, Northstar New Jersey Lottery Group, the state’s lottery vendor, will owe a shortfall payment.
The Lottery’s contributions are a key part of the state’s pension strategy. Since 2017, a portion of Lottery revenue has gone toward pension funding—a policy started under then-Gov. Chris Christie. In FY2026, the state will contribute over $7 billion to its pension system, marking the fifth straight year of full funding.
