Here's what we know about the upcoming "for life" draw game
By Kate Northrop
The new Millionaire for Life multi-state draw game is just around the corner, which will offer "the jackpot of a lifetime."
Millionaire for Life is set to debut in just a month, as Lottery Post first announced last October. As we say goodbye to Lucky for Life and Cash4Life for good, here's what we know so far about the new multi-state "for life" game that will replace them.
Players in 31 jurisdictions will have a chance to win the grand prize of $1 million a year for life or the second-tier prize of $100,000 a year for life in this new daily draw game. Both prizes are awarded as annuities, with a 20-year guaranteed payout, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL). The game is managed by MUSL, the same group that oversees Powerball.
Players will also have the option of claiming those prizes as a one-time cash payout of $18 million and $2.2 million, respectively. The remainder of the seven lesser-tiered prizes are claimed as one-time cash payouts, ranging from $8 to $7,500.
In comparison, the cash values for the top and second-tier prizes in Cash4Life were $7 million and $1 million, while the cash values for the top and second-tier prizes in Lucky for Life were $5.75 million and $390,000.
"Millionaire for Life offers premier 'for-life' prizing that players, especially younger players, have gravitated toward," Millionaire for Life Product Group Chair and Colorado Lottery Senior Director Tom Seaver said in a press release. "Imagine winning $1 million a year, year after year — this game is designed to deliver on its name."
At $5 per play, players pick 5 out of 58 regular balls and 1 out of 5 Millionaire Balls for overall odds of 1 in 8.47 to win any prize. The odds of winning the grand prize of $1 million a year for life are 1 in 22.9 million.
Ticket sales and daily drawings will begin on Sunday, Feb. 22, with the first drawing taking place right after 11:15 p.m. Eastern Time. Ticket sales close at 10:15 p.m. Eastern Time. Drawings will be conducted via automated drawing machine in Des Moines, Iowa, Seaver advised Lottery Post.
Players will be able to purchase advance multi-draw tickets for Millionaire for Life in blocks of 28, 21, 14, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1.
Cash4Life is currently offered in ten jurisdictions, while Lucky for Life is offered in 23. Jan. 25 is the last day players can purchase an advance Cash4Life ticket for the maximum of 28 draws, and Feb. 2 is the last day to purchase an advance Lucky for Life ticket for the maximum of 20 draws.
States that are confirmed to offer Millionaire for Life are Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming. New York is also expected to offer the game at launch pending regulatory approval, MUSL advised.
The final Cash4Life and Lucky for Life drawings will take place on Feb. 21.
"Players should feel good knowing that every time they play Millionaire for Life, their ticket is also giving back to the local community," Seaver added. "Proceeds help fund education, support military veterans, and contribute to state parks and conservation efforts — just a few of the worthy causes that will benefit from the game."
MUSL is planning on releasing more game information, including play instructions and additional prizes and odds details, on Feb. 12.
Florida isn't on the list of states that are confirmed to offer it.
I'm in Florida, but that $5 per play horse dung don't thrill me, so it probably won't matter to me whether or not Florida does offer it.
We do have Cash4Life, but I never play it. I waste my money on other games like PowerBall. G5
Another $5 draw game? These people are crazy
I play Lucky for Life regularly and what I like most is the grand prize payout structure. If you take the “For Life” annuity, it pays out weekly instead of annually. $7k minus taxes so $4.5k’ish direct deposited every week is a very good paycheck. I don’t know if every state has the same payout structure but in Colorado’s official rules it states weekly direct deposits starting from the 2nd check (you get the first check the day you claim it).
I know most people would take the $5.7m lump sum (minus taxes its around $3.4m), but I would rather have the paycheck every single week... for the rest of your life. If you’re not careful you can go through $3m pretty easily over a couple years. And once that money’s gone, its gone for good. Versus, if you took the weekly payouts and do something stupid that blows your savings, you still have another paycheck next week… and the week after.
If it was a once-a-year payment, I don’t know what I would do. Probably not play it so much…
I’ll wait to see the official rules on the payout structure for Millionaire for Life before I make any decisions whether to play regularly or not. But weekly payouts instead of annually may not increase my odds of winning, but they would increase my odds of playing.
Good points. You could have the lottery deposit the money into an interest-bearing savings account and set up automatic transfers to your checking account. Make the transfers a bit less than 1/52 of the annual payment and save the difference plus interest.
You could transfer $7,000 per week and have about $50,000 left over each year from the $1M minus taxes.
The way I look at it is it is a great game to play while waiting for the 40 rolls on other games.
It will probably be my go to game until some other game is changed or a new one comes along.
I currently watch the 47, multi states, fast Cash and, when I win something, the $50 scratchies here in Michigan. I do, on rare occasions, play some of the crappier games here though.
Md isn't on the list so I won't be playing. Oh, well.
Thanks for the update.
KLC didn't respond to my question if KY would get it or not...maybe they're worried about the storm that just hit here!
The $5 Prices going to turn off some players
*.. and California wants nothing to do with any of these games. 😑
Attack of the $5.00 Clones
It's gonna help me stop playing.
Yeah, very strange about the four states that currently have one of the two "for life" games and they're OK with losing the game with no replacement. Makes no sense to me.
It's probably because of their pari-mutuel law. It would be silly to offer a game called "millionaire for life" if it never pays a million dollars a year. Even the simple game of Pick 3 doesn't pay $500 for a $1 straight bet (it could, by chance). It's more than $500 if fewer than average tickets hit and less than $500 if more than average tickets hit it.
Delaware put out a media statement that players here were not interested in another $5 ticket game. Being a small state, lottery is not supported enough for the new game. They only allow a $400,000 loss on play 3 and play 4 numbers before a number is cutoff for sale.
Well there is quite a range of opinions on mil 4 life here in this forum.
First off thanks Kate for the info!
I'm a lucky 4 life player but, I only play on mon and or thur when the pb and or mm is less than 250 mil (tho' I m thinking of raising the threshold to 300 or 350 mil).
I'm sorta a traditionalist on the Monday and Thursday thing as the original drawings were held on these two days
Now that the price has increased I will change one criteria .... that is I'll definitely only play Mon or Thur not both. I can't imagine the 'powers that be' think anyone is gonna play daily at 5 dollars a pop ; that's 35 bucks a week!
And I'll probably take the cash cuz I'm over 50 and I don't trust the govt that if something happens that they won't be able to keep there word on the annuity.
Tho if I were younger by a couple of decades and were naively trusting in the govt the annuity is less scary than having one big check and all that responsibility that it entails. And I too would rather receive the annuity weekly rather than yearly.
Finally, Florida what the heqq? .... I'm surprised they aren't on board with this new game.
Have a shaggy day!
ShagE3