Winning once is awesome. But what if you could win every day… for the rest of your life? Meet Lucky for Life, the lottery game that could make your morning alarm your new best friend.
Lucky for Life Overview
Lucky for Life is a lottery game that’s available in 22 states and Washington D.C.
Cost: $2.00
Jackpot: $1,000 a day for life or a $5.75 million lump sum payout
Drawings: Lucky for Life drawings are 7 nights a week at 10:38 pm EST
Overall odds of winning a prize: 1 in 7.8
Lucky for Life Rules
Get your game on, and learn how to play Lucky for Life. Choose five numbers from one through 48 and one Lucky Ball number from one through 18. You can Quick Pick or choose your own lucky numbers. Match all five numbers and the Lucky Ball and your Lucky for Life winnings will be $1,000 a day for life.
(Related: Can You Buy Lottery Tickets Online?)
Lucky for Life Prizes
There are 10 ways to win a Lucky for Life prize by matching numbers. For example, match five out of five numbers without the Lucky Ball for a Lucky for Life payout of $25,000 a year for life. Not too shabby! Matching four out of five numbers plus the Lucky Ball earns you $5,000. Matching just the Lucky Ball wins $4.
The bottom line: Your odds of winning a Lucky for Life prize are one in 7.8.
*Prizes made be split if there are multiple winners. Source: Lucky for Life
Lucky for Life prizes and odds
Does Lucky for Life Actually Pay for Life?
It depends which prize level you win and if you pick the annuity vs lump sum option! If you win first or second prize in Lucky for Life, you get to choose how you want to be paid!
Cash vs Annuity Payouts
First-prize winners who pick the annuity option are paid the equivalent of $365,000 a year (the timing of the payments is according to the rules where the ticket was sold), with a 20-year guarantee. If the winner passes away, payments continue to the winner’s estate. The first-prize cash option is $5,750,000.
Second-prize winners who pick the annuity option are paid the equivalent of $25,000 a year (the timing of the payments is according to the rules where the ticket was sold), with a 20-year guarantee. If the winner passes away, payments continue to the winner’s estate. The second-prize cash option is $390,000.
What Happens When You Win?
Winning numbers are drawn every night at approximately 10:38 PM EST. If you bought your Lucky for Life ticket in person from a retailer, check your state lottery website for more information on how to claim your prize. It can vary by state.
Lucky for Life States
There are 23 jurisdictions that offer Lucky for Life:
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Idaho
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Montana
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Vermont
- Wyoming
(Related: What Does a Powerball Ticket Cost?)
FAQs
What happens to the money I spend on Lucky for Life lottery tickets?
In most states, the majority of the ticket revenue goes into a pot to be paid out as prizes. In each state, a portion of lottery revenue raised goes to fund state programs. Many states fund educational programs; some help the homeless, others help veterans and more. See your state’s lottery website for more information.
How often are the drawings?
Drawings used to be held twice per week on Mondays and Thursdays. In July 2021, a Lucky for Life update occurred, and drawings are now held seven days per week!
Are prizes taxable?
Yes. All prizes are subject to federal taxes and are considered taxable income. Many states will require taxes to be paid on winnings, too. The tax amount will vary by state and may depend on the amount won. See your local state tax office for more information.
Lucky for Life tips
What are the odds of winning Lucky for Life? The odds of winning the grand prize in Lucky for Life are one in 30,821,472, which is based on the number of possible winning combinations of regular balls and the lucky balls that can be drawn. Overall odds are determined by adding all of the chances for each prize level together. In Lucky for Life, the overall odds of winning are one in 7.8.
This article originally appeared on Jackpocket.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
More from MediaFeed:
The Biggest Lottery Wins in Every State
What’s the biggest lottery win in your state?
Wonder no more! Here’s a list of the biggest lottery winnings by state in the U.S. This list covers the largest lottery winnings with a single lottery ticket (no sharing!) in each state.
Any states not represented do not have a state lottery.
(Related: Luckiest States for Winning Powerball)
Wpadington/Istockphoto
Prize: $410M
Game: Mega Millions
Get the Story:
The first Mega Millions win in the state is also the biggest jackpot win ever in Arizona.
Michael Burrell/Istockphoto
Prize: $177M
Game: Mega Millions
Get the Story:
This jackpot was won on April Fools Day…but this lottery prize is no joke.
Sean Pavone/istockphoto
istockphoto/GerardoBrucker
Prize: $133M
Game: Powerball
Get the Story:
A CO woman finally wins the jackpot after playing her numbers for 30 years.
Warren-Pender / istockphoto
Prize: $254.2M
Game: Powerball
Get the Story:
Three wealth management co-workers won on 1 Quick Pick ticket.
SeanPavonePhoto/istockphoto
Prize: $121M
Game: Powerball
Get the Story:
Won by a group of 33 co-workers from a DE printing company.
AndreyPopov/istockphoto
Prize: $1.58B
Game: Mega Millions
Get the Story:
This ultra lucky winner secured the largest win in the game’s history….but this lottery prize is no joke.
ULora/istockphoto
WoodysPhotos/Istockphoto
knowlesgallery/istockphoto
Prize: $1.337B
Game: Mega Millions
Get the Story:
“It’s the largest lottery prize ever won in Illinois…”
Julie Clopper/istockphoto
Prize: $536M
Game: Mega Millions
Get the Story:
This Hoosier bought their winning ticket on the way to their child’s sports game.
Lee Lawson/Istockphoto
Prize: $343.9M
Game: Powerball
Get the Story:
This single-mom nearly lost her ticket after dropping it on the floor of her sister’s truck.
Wirestock/istockphoto
Prize: $218.6M
Game: Mega Millions
Get the Story:
The winner said they were looking forward to early retirement.
istockphoto/Sean Pavone
Prize: $218.6M
Game: Powerball
Get the Story:
All of Kentucky’s top jackpot winners won on Powerball.
JT Crawford / istockphoto
Lee Lawson/Istockphoto
Prize: $1.348B
Game: Mega Millions
Get the Story:
Maine won its first Mega Millions jackpot on a Friday the 13th.
istockphoto
Prize: $731.1M
Game: Powerball
Get the Story:
An anonymous group, known as “The Power Pack,” said they would use the money to invest in their community.
Wirestock/istockphoto
danlogan/istockphoto
Prize: $1.05B
Game: Mega Millions
Get the Story:
A lottery club bought their winning ticket at a local Kroger.
JerryB7/istockphoto
Prize: $229M
Game: Powerball
Get the Story:
“He is retired as of 14 or 15 hours ago,” the winner’s wife said.
atosan/istockphoto
Prize: $524K
Game: Match 5
Get the Story:
This is the biggest prize since MS lottery began selling tickets in 2019.
Lee Lawson/Istockphoto
Perry Spring/Istockphoto
Prize: $48.5M
Game: Powerball
Get the Story:
“Mostly I’ve just got to let it sink in and let it feel real.”
miroslav_1/istockphoto
Prize: $365M
Game: Powerball
Get the Story:
Eight ham processing plant co-workers became instant millionaires.
Jacob Boomsma/istockphoto
Prize: $559.7M
Game: Powerball
Get the Story:
“My client doesn’t want any accolades, she doesn’t want any credit. She just wants to do good things.”
Ralf Geithe/istockphoto
Prize: $559.7M
Game: Powerball
Get the Story:
The winning ticket was sold at ShopRite Liquor #781 in Neptune Township, NJ.
Wirestock/istockphoto
Sean Pavone/istockphoto
Masha Zolotukhina/Istockphoto
Prize: $344.6M
Game: Powerball
Get the Story:
Numbers from a fortune cookie are responsible for this winner’s good fortune.
J. Michael Jones/Istockphoto
Prize: $3M
Game: Mega Millions
Get the Story:
Two $3 million Mega Millions prizes are tied for biggest wins in ND.
Wirestock/istockphoto
Prize: $372M
Game: Mega Millions
Get the Story:
A record December lottery win set the stage for a very Happy Holiday.
LeventKonuk/istockphoto
Sean Pavone/istockphoto
jbentley09/istockphoto
Sean Pavone/istockphoto
Prize: $127M
Game: Powerball
Get the Story:
This prize marks the first winning Powerball jackpot ticket ever sold outside the continental U.S.
IGraDesign/Istockphoto
SeanPavonePhoto/istockphoto
J. Michael Jones/istockphoto
Prize: $232.1M
Game: Powerball
Get the Story:
South Dakota’s very own Powerball jackpot won in Pierre.
istockphoto
SeanPavonePhoto/Istockphoto
Prize: $420.9M
Game: Powerball
Get the Story:
Someone in San Angelo matched all six numbers drawn & chose the cash option as the time of purchase.
carrollmt/Istockphoto
Coast-to-Coast/Istockphoto
SeanPavonePhoto/istockphoto
SeanPavonePhoto/istockphoto
Prize: $754.6M
Game: Powerball
Get the Story:
The winner could opt for the annuity option or a one-time cash payment of $407.2 million.
LUNAMARINA/istockphoto
Coast-to-Coast/istockphoto
Sean Pavone/istockphoto
Jon Mattrisch/istockphoto
Prize: $5M
Game: Mega Millions
Get the Story:
The biggest lottery win in Wyoming was sold in Evanston.
Jef Wodniack/Istockphoto
The lottery is a game of chance. People use dozens of strategies to try and boost their chance of winning a life-changing prize. From scrutinizing the numbers (or choosing seemingly random numbers) to joining your lottery pool at work, there are many ways people choose to play. Do these strategies affect your odds? Not at all. Everyone has the same chance of picking the winning lottery numbers.
Can Lottery Winners Choose to Remain Anonymous?
When you learn about the most lottery winnings by state, we bet you want to know if those winners had the option to remain anonymous when they claimed their prize. The answer is that it depends. States have their own rules about whether lottery winners can remain anonymous. And there may be stipulations on those rules, too. For example, in Texas, you can remain anonymous only if the prize won is over $1 million. Check your state lottery website for more information on which regulations apply to you.
(Related: These Are the “Luckiest” Powerball Numbers in 2024)
ablokhin / iStock
So, what happens if you win? If you join the biggest lottery winners, be ready to give Uncle Sam his piece of the pie. Any winnings above $599.99 are considered income in the eyes of the IRS and will be taxed as such. Your normal income tax rate will be charged for prizes from $600 to $4,999.99. Once you hit $5,000, the IRS will take 24% of your total winnings.
Depending on your other income, this could push you into a higher tax bracket, so be prepared to pay the difference between what the IRS has already taken and your actual tax bracket in additional taxes. For example, if your total income between work and your lottery winnings puts you in the 37% tax bracket, you will owe an additional 13% of your winnings back to the government.
This article originally appeared on Jackpocket.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
Jacob Wackerhausen/istockphoto
karenfoleyphotography/istockphoto
Featured Image Credit: artiemedvedev/Istockphoto.
