Cash For Life Odds and Prizes
Cash for Life has some of the most exciting prizes of any lottery in the world. Match all the numbers to get the jackpot of $1,000 a day for life, at far better odds than other multi-state games such as Powerball or Mega Millions.
Even if you miss the Cash Ball, you are still set up for the future with a prize of $1,000 a week for the rest of your life.
There are also seven other ways to win for matching fewer numbers. See the table to find out all the possible payouts and odds of winning.
The overall odds of winning a Cash for Life prize are 1 in 8.
| Prize Level | Odds of Winning | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| ⯆ Annuity Prizes ⯆ | ||
Match 5 + Cash Ball
|
1 in 21,846,048 | $1,000 A Day For Life |
Match 5
|
1 in 7,282,016 | $1,000 A Week For Life |
| ⯆ Regular Cash Prizes ⯆ | ||
Match 4 + Cash Ball
|
1 in 79,440 | $2,500 |
Match 4
|
1 in 26,480 | $500 |
Match 3 + Cash Ball
|
1 in 1,471 | $100 |
Match 3
|
1 in 490 | $25 |
Match 2 + Cash Ball
|
1 in 83 | $10 |
Match 2
|
1 in 28 | $4 |
Match 1 + Cash Ball
|
1 in 13 | $2 |
The top two prizes are guaranteed to keep paying out for life, making it a particularly appealing game for younger players.
If you win the jackpot, you’ll actually receive $365,000 once a year (even in leap years) rather than $1,000 every day.
The second prize works the same way, with a $52,000 annual payment instead of $1,000 weekly payouts.
There is also a minimum payout period of 20 years. If a winner dies before 20 years have passed, the rest of the money goes to their estate.
If you would prefer to receive your prize as a lump sum rather than an annuity, Cash for Life also comes with a cash option. For the jackpot, this is $7 million. If you win the second prize, the cash option is worth $1 million.
It does not happen often, but the jackpot is split if there are multiple players who match all the numbers.
In the highly unlikely scenario that 15 or more players win, the annuity option is not available and the cash amount of $7 million is divided between the players.
Claiming Prizes
The claims process for Cash for Life depends on a couple of factors - the value of your prize and where you bought your ticket. Go to the How to Claim section for an overview of what you need to do, or visit the specific state page for more information.
New Jersey Doubler
One state where Cash for Life works a bit differently is New Jersey, where a Doubler feature is available for an extra $1 per play. If you add this option, all payouts in categories three to nine – the prizes that are not ‘for life’ – are doubled. Go to the New Jersey page to learn more about how it works.