Lucky For Life: Official Guide, Rules, Odds & How to Play
What is Lucky For Life lottery?
Lucky For Life is a unique multi-state lottery game that offers lifetime prizes instead of traditional lump-sum jackpots. It's known for its distinctive prize structure that provides financial security for winners.
Lucky For Life drawings are held every day at 11:00 pm ET. Tickets cost $2.00 per play.
Did You Know?
Lucky For Life is the only major lottery game that offers daily drawings with lifetime annuity prizes! The top prize guarantees $1,000 per day for life.
Participating States
Lucky For Life tickets are available in 25 states: Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming.
How to play Lucky For Life lottery?
Players pick five numbers from 1 to 48 for the white balls and one number from 1 to 18 for the Lucky Ball. You win the top prize by matching all six winning numbers in a drawing.
The unique prize structure offers lifetime payments instead of traditional lump-sum jackpots.
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Choose 5 main numbers from 1 to 48
- Choose 1 Lucky Ball from 1 to 18
- Select payment preference for top prizes (if applicable in your state)
- Wait for the daily draw at 22:38 ET
- Check your numbers and claim your lifetime prize!
Odds to win Lucky For Life prizes
Lucky For Life offers unique lifetime prizes with better odds than most major lotteries!
| Winning Selections | Odds | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| Match 5 numbers + Lucky Ball | 1 in 30,821,472 | $1,000 a day for life * |
| Match 5 main numbers | 1 in 1,813,028 | $25,000 a year for life * |
| Match 4 numbers + Lucky Ball | 1 in 143,356 | $5,000 |
| Match 4 main numbers | 1 in 8,433 | $200 |
| Match 3 numbers + Lucky Ball | 1 in 3,413 | $150 |
| Match 3 main numbers | 1 in 201 | $20 |
| Match 2 numbers + Lucky Ball | 1 in 250 | $25 |
| Match 2 main numbers | 1 in 15 | $3 |
| Match 1 number + Lucky Ball | 1 in 50 | $6 |
| Match the Lucky Ball | 1 in 32 | $4 |
Overall odds of winning any prize: 1 in 8
Lifetime prizes have minimum 20-year payment periods and cash options are available. Top prize is capped at $7 million lump sum, second prize at $9.4 million lump sum. Prizes may be divided among multiple winners.
Daily Draws Advantage
With daily drawings and 1 in 8 overall odds of winning, Lucky For Life gives you more chances to win than almost any other lottery game! The lifetime prizes provide financial security rather than just a one-time payout.
Lucky For Life Prize Options
The minimum payment period for the top two prizes is 20 years. Winners have the choice between annuitized payments or cash options.
* Divided by the number of winners
Lucky For Life Odds Calculations
Let's examine how the unique odds for Lucky For Life are calculated.
In every Lucky For Life drawing, 5 white balls are drawn together with a single Lucky Ball.
Main Balls Odds
There are 48 numbers to pick from for the main balls. None can repeat. The number of ways to choose 5 balls from 48 is:
That means there are 1.7 million ways to pick 5 numbers from 48 without repeating.
Lucky Ball Odds
There are 18 numbers for the Lucky Ball. You pick 1, so there are 18 possible choices.
Overall Odds to Win Lucky For Life
Multiply the main and Lucky Ball combinations:
So your odds are 1 in 30,821,472!
With better odds than Powerball or Mega Millions and the unique lifetime prize structure, Lucky For Life offers an attractive alternative for lottery players.
Learn how to improve your odds of winning Lucky For Life with strategic play.
Winning vs Losing Combinations
After each Lucky For Life draw, the distribution of combinations is:
Winning Probability Calculations
In Lucky For Life, you pick 5 numbers from 1 to 48 and 1 Lucky Ball from 1 to 18. The number of combinations that win any prize after each draw is calculated as follows:
Total Number of Combinations
The total number of ways to choose 5 main numbers from 48 and 1 Lucky Ball from 18 is given by:
Winning Combinations Breakdown
Let's calculate all the winning combinations for each prize tier:
| Prize Tier | Winning Combinations | Calculation |
|---|---|---|
| Match Lucky Ball only | 1,712,304 | \( \binom{47}{5} \times \binom{1}{1} = 1,712,304 \) |
| Match 1 main + Lucky Ball | 178,365 | \( \binom{5}{1} \times \binom{43}{4} \times \binom{1}{1} = 178,365 \) |
| Match 2 main only | 33,660 | \( \binom{5}{2} \times \binom{43}{3} \times \binom{17}{1} = 33,660 \) |
| Match 2 main + Lucky Ball | 9,030 | \( \binom{5}{2} \times \binom{43}{3} \times \binom{1}{1} = 9,030 \) |
| Match 3 main only | 2,380 | \( \binom{5}{3} \times \binom{43}{2} \times \binom{17}{1} = 2,380 \) |
| Match 3 main + Lucky Ball | 1,330 | \( \binom{5}{3} \times \binom{43}{2} \times \binom{1}{1} = 1,330 \) |
| Match 4 main only | 170 | \( \binom{5}{4} \times \binom{43}{1} \times \binom{17}{1} = 170 \) |
| Match 4 main + Lucky Ball | 85 | \( \binom{5}{4} \times \binom{43}{1} \times \binom{1}{1} = 85 \) |
| Match 5 main only | 17 | \( \binom{5}{5} \times \binom{17}{1} = 17 \) |
| Match 5 main + Lucky Ball | 1 | \( \binom{5}{5} \times \binom{1}{1} = 1 \) |
| Total Winning Combinations | 1,936,938 |
Non-Winning Combinations
Conclusion
Therefore, there are 1,936,938 combinations (6.28%) that win any prize in each Lucky For Life drawing, while 28,884,534 combinations (93.72%) win nothing.
Probability Insight
Your chance of winning ANY prize in Lucky For Life is approximately 1 in 15.9, which is better than Powerball or Mega Millions and much better than the jackpot odds of 1 in 30.8 million!
Lifetime Prize Structure
Lucky For Life is unique for offering lifetime income prizes instead of traditional lump-sum jackpots:
Top Prize
$1,000 a day for life - Match 5 main + Lucky Ball
Minimum 20-year guarantee or $5.75M cash option
Second Prize
$25,000 a year for life - Match 5 main only
Minimum 20-year guarantee or $390,000 cash option
Daily Draws Advantage
Lucky For Life holds drawings every day, giving you more opportunities to win:
Note: Lucky For Life offers two lifetime income prizes, making it unique among lottery games. With daily draws and reasonable overall odds, it provides excellent value for players seeking both frequent winning opportunities and life-changing prizes.
Ready to Play for Life?
Use our advanced tools to maximize your chances of winning lifetime prizes!
Explore Winning StrategiesNotable Changes & History
Lucky For Life updated its number matrix to improve the game:
- New Format: Changed from 5/48 + 1/18 to current matrix
- Improved Odds: Better overall winning chances for players
- Prize Adjustments: Updated prize tiers to maintain game balance
Lucky For Life expanded to become a true multi-state game:
- National Reach: Added multiple new participating states
- Enhanced Prizes: Increased top prize guarantees
- Daily Draws: Maintained popular daily drawing schedule
Added cash options for lifetime prizes:
- Flexibility: Winners could choose lump sum payments
- Top Prize Cap: $7 million maximum for cash option
- Second Prize Cap: $9.4 million maximum for cash option
Lucky For Life originally launched as a Connecticut-only game:
- Original Concept: Daily drawings with lifetime prizes
- Initial Format: Different number matrix in early versions
- Progressive Growth: Expanded to neighboring states gradually
Source: Lucky For Life Official Site
