The New Jersey State Lottery was approved as an establishment on November 1969 as part of the general election. New Jersey voters approved with an overwhelming 81.5% majority, the largest majority vote in New Jersey's history. The first Executive Director of the New Jersey Lottery is Ralph Batch confirmed in April 1970.

On December 16,1970 the first lottery ticket was sold to Governor William T. Cahill, the New Jersey weekly game tickets went on sale at 2,000 agent locations.