News writer
The sun is setting on the multinational draw games Lucky for Life and Cash4Life on February 21, 2026, making way for a combination of the two called Millionaire for Life.
Players can still buy tickets for Lucky for Life and Cash4Life until the date, and some of them are still winning big.
Recent winners
Players can still buy Lucky for Life and Cash4Life tickets and win big until the sunset date.
In Massachusetts, Vivian Perry of Blackstone won a $25,000-per year prize for life through Lucky for Life for the November 15 drawing. She plans to spend money on a trip to Italy. She opted for a cash payout of $390,000.
Winners like Perry will be largely unaffected, but players are getting a “last call” on purchases. In Colorado, for example, officials released a timetable for players who are accustomed to buying tickets in advance. As of today, players can purchase 89 Lucky for Life tickets in advance. This number decreases by one every day until it gets down to zero on February 22, when the new game is released.
Sunsetting the games
Sales of these games have been both positive and negative. In Massachusetts, for example, financial records report that Lucky for Life sales were down by 2.2%, or $80,504, between July 2024 and 2025. In Nebraska, however, sales have actually gone up by 3.2% year over year. But there’s no doubt that the trends are geared toward buying lottery tickets; massive million-dollar-plus jackpots like Powerball and Mega Millions have been boasting lately. While $1,000 a day or week could change lives, it doesn’t have the same ring to it as a million dollars a year for life.
About Lucky for Life and Cash4Life
Lucky for Life was established in 2009 in Connecticut, ultimately expanding to 22 states and to Washington, DC, after the game proved to be popular. Players select numbers from 1 to 48, and an additional Lucky Ball number from 1 to 18. If they match all five numbers, players win $1,000 a day for the rest of their lives. Players matching the regular numbers correctly without the Lucky Ball win $25,000 a year for their lives, or at least for a minimum of 20 years. The prize is available as a lump sum or annuity.
Smaller cash prizes can range from $3 to $5,000. Odds of winning any prize in Lucky for Life are 1 in 7.8, while odds of winning the main prize are 1 in 30,821,472. Drawings are held every day of the week at approximately 10:38 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
Cash4Life was launched in 2014 in New York and New Jersey, expanding to ten states total. Players pick five numbers from 1 to 60, as well as a Cash Ball number from 1 to 4. The top prize is $1,000 a day for the rest of the player’s life, while the second prize is $1,000 a week. Other prizes range from $2 to $2,500. Odds of winning any prize are 1 in 8, while odds of winning the grand prize are 1 in 21,846,048. Drawings are held nightly at 9:00 p.m. EST.
What we know about Millionaire for Life
There’s no doubt that the trends are geared toward bigger jackpots, which might be why these games are being eliminated in favor of Millionaire for Life, which boasts a grand prize of $1 million per year in an annuity, according to the Montana Lottery, with a second prize of $100,000 per year for life. Players will have to match five numbers out of 58, with lower-tier prizes ranging from $8 to $7,500. Overall odds of winning are 1 in 8, while odds of winning the grand prize are 1 in 22,910,580. One play will cost $5 a ticket and will take place daily.
These games, and the changeover, are being handled by the Multi-State Lottery Association.
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