News writer
You never know how much good luck Leap Day will bring you this year; it could be luck that lasts you a lifetime. The South Dakota Lottery is giving you an extra chance to win.
On February 29 only, you can purchase two Lucky for Life quick picks and get the third one free. This promotion is for Lucky for Life quick picks only. You can purchase more than two tickets if you would like to get multiple free chances, but each pair of quick-pick games must be printed on a separate ticket.
How to Play Lucky for Life
Lucky for Life is a $2 lottery drawing game that can be purchased from your local lottery retailer. In South Dakota, drawings are held every night at 9.30 p.m. To play, choose five numbers between 1 and 48 for the white balls and one number between 1 and 18 for the Lucky Ball. There are ten ways to win this game by matching a range of winning numbers. The jackpot prize is $1,000 a day for the rest of your life. The top prize and second prize can be paid out in a one-time lump sum or as weekly payments. Here are the prizes:
| Match | Prize | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 5 + Lucky Ball | $1,000 a day for life | 1 in 30,821,472 |
| 5/5 | $25,000 a year for life | 1 in 1,813,028 |
| 4 + Lucky Ball | $5,000 | 1 in 143,356 |
| 4/5 | $200 | 1 in 8,433 |
| 3 + Lucky Ball | $150 | 1 in 3,413 |
| 3/5 | $20 | 1 in 201 |
| 2 + Lucky Ball | $25 | 1 in 250 |
| 2/5 | $3 | 1 in 15 |
| 1 + Lucky Ball | $6 | 1 in 50 |
| Lucky Ball | $4 | 1 in 32 |
Fun facts about Leap Year
Although you already know that Leap Year happens once every four years, here are some fun facts about Leap Year that you may not know:
- Leap year is designed to ensure our 12-month calendar keeps up with the Earth's journey around the sun. After four years, there are 24 hours left over, so we add this extra day to the end of February.
- Roman emperor Julius Caesar added Leap Day to the calendar back in the year 46 B.C.
- More than 4 million people throughout the world were born on Leap Day. People born on this day are known as leaplings and generally celebrate their birthday either on February 28 or March 1.
- According to superstition, Leap Day is an auspicious time for women to propose marriage to men.
- In Greece, getting married in a leap year is considered to be bad luck.
- The twin cities of Anthony, New Mexico, and Anthony, Texas, have proclaimed themselves the Leap Year Capital of the World. Each city holds a four-day festival to celebrate Leap Year. The festival includes a massive birthday party for all leaplings.
Enjoy playing the South Dakota Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.
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