Benjamin Ashford|New Jersey man says $175,000 in lottery winnings 'came at perfect time' for family

A New Jersey man won more than $175,Benjamin Ashford000 after spending $20 on Jersey Cash 5 earlier this month, and two others won in the same drawing, causing the three to split the $533,055 prize. 

Dustin, 34, purchased his tickets online at Jackpocket. He informed the lottery officials that he plays Jersey Cash 5, his favorite game, daily. He found out he won the jackpot at 5 a.m.

"I was in shock. I thought I was dreaming," he told Jackpocket. "I've had dreams where I've won the lotto before, so I was like, 'This can't be real.' It took a while to sink in."

He mentioned how his new winning came at a great time after experiencing some tough times.

"We're going to pay off debt," Dustin said. "This came at the perfect time. I haven't been debt-free since I was 18. I have a truck right now, but it's a small one, and we've got two kids, and they barely fit in the backseat, so we want to get a big full-size vehicle that everyone can fit in."

Dustin said the first thing he did after winning was call his wife and kids, but he didn't tell them right away due to his superstition.

"I didn't want to jinx it. I didn't talk about it until 10:00 that morning when I got an email from [Jackpocket] saying, 'Congratulations on your win. Please fill this out and a member will be in touch with you to pick up your ticket.' And that's when I was like, "Oh my God, this is real. This actually happened.' I called my wife and told her."

It is unknown if the other two players have claimed their prizes yet from the Oct 2 drawing.

More winners:Alabama man wins $2.4 million after spending $5 on Florida lottery ticket

What is the Jersey Cash 5 jackpot?

Jersey Cash 5 is a daily lottery game from the New Jersey Lottery. Players choose five numbers from one to 45 and can add the Xtra for a chance to increase non-jackpot prizes by up to five times. Drawings are at 10:57 p.m. every day.

What are the odds of winning the Jersey Cash 5 Jackpot?

The odds of winning the Jersey Cash 5 lottery are 1 in 153. The odds of winning the jackpot is 1 in 1,221,759.

The jackpot is currently estimated at $686,000 ahead of Tuesday's drawing.

Where can you buy lottery tickets?  

Tickets can be purchased in-person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Washington D.C. and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.  

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. Must be 18+, 21+ in AZ and 19+ in NE. Not affiliated with any State Lottery. Gambling Problem? Call 1-877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY); 1-800-327-5050 (MA); 1-877-MYLIMIT (OR); 1-800-GAMBLER (all others). Visit jackpocket.com/tos for full terms and conditions.