A Jersey Shore bookmaker admitted Tuesday to operating his own illegal lottery that netted him about $250,000, officials said.

Edward O’Neill, 54, appeared in US District Court in Newark, where he pleaded guilty to managing an illegal gambling business and failing to report the earnings on his taxes, according to prosecutors.

As many as 8,000 people played in each of O’Neill’s unofficial lotteries, paying $20 to select six numbers from 1 to 49. The sole winner was the first person who drew the official Pick-6 numbers, and the cash award often exceeded $100,000, authorities said.

O’Neill, of Beachwood, pocketed 10 percent of the total bets, and operated like an old-school bookie, personally collecting the cash and keeping a detailed ledger of the black market wagers. He underpaid his tax bill by $65,674, prosecutors said.

He faces up to five years in prison when he’s sentenced Aug. 25.