News writer
You win the Cash4Life game for the Virginia Lottery — are you taking the $1,000 per day for the rest of your life or a $7 million one-time payment?
The tough choice
That is the decision one lucky Virginia Lottery winner had to make recently. Paul Johnson matched all six numbers in the April 13 Cash4Life drawing. The winning numbers for that drawing were 14, 21, 24, 27, and 38, and the Cash Ball number was 2.
Johnson not only chose the $7 million cash option, but he also selected the numbers himself on the winning ticket.
His wife thought he was joking
The Virginia Beach man was sitting at home watching basketball on television when he found out he'd won the top prize. He had to then wake up his wife to share the good news.
Johnson told Lottery officials:
She thought I was playing!
Johnson bought the winning ticket at Millers, located at 1900 Centreville Turnpike in Virginia Beach.
How to play Cash4Life
How does Cash4Life work? It is a multi-state draw game held every night at 9:00 p.m. ET. The drawings are held in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Currently, Cash4Life is available to play in 10 jurisdictions: Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia.
To play, you grab your playslip and select five numbers from 1 to 60 and a Cash Ball from 1 to 4, or you can select the Quick Pick option, and the computer will generate the numbers for you. Cash4Life costs $2 per play, but players in New Jersey can add the Doubler for $1 extra, players in Tennessee can add Quick Cash for $1 extra, and players in Missouri can add EZ Match for $1 extra.
The Doubler is a multiplier that doubles the prizes, except for the top two prize categories. For the Quick Cash add-on, players get a chance to win prizes instantly by matching any of the Quick Cash numbers printed on their ticket with any of the Cash4Life numbers.
The EZ Match add-on is an instant win option for players. If a player chooses this option in Missouri, they receive five EZ Match numbers printed below the Cash4Life numbers. If any of their white Cash4Life numbers match any of the EZ Match numbers, then they instantly win the prize amount shown next to that EZ Match number.
For all Cash4Life players, there are nine prize categories available to win. These categories range from the lowest prize of $2 to the top prize of $1,000 a day for life, like the one Johnson won above.
The top and second prize — $1,000 a week for life — winners can choose to receive the prize in annual payments of 20 years, or they can get a one-time cash option, which is a guaranteed minimum of $7 million, again, like Johnson got above.
The odds of winning the Cash4Life top prize are 1 in 21.8 million, so Johnson beat the odds big time.
Enjoy playing the Virginia Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.
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