UK Set for Life is a popular lottery game run by The National Lottery.
It offers a unique, life-long prize, decent odds, and multiple chances of winning each week.
In this guide, we’ll tell you everything you need to know before you decide to buy a UK Set for Life ticket online or in person.
About UK Set for Life
The first Set for Life draw took place on March 18, 2019.
The game is offered by The National Lottery, the UK state-run lottery branch, and is operated by Camelot Group.
As the game is quite new, there have been no format changes since the first drawing.
Set for Life Draws
Set for Life is a bi-weekly game. Draws take place every Monday and Thursday at 8 pm BST. Players have until 7:30 pm on the day of the draw to purchase tickets.
The machines used during the draw are the Smartplay Halogen II model.
Each draw is broadcast live on the Camelot Group website and on their YouTube channel.
How to Play UK Set for Life
Set for Life is very easy to play, and should not be hard for new or experienced players to follow.
Players must choose five numbers from a pool of numbers 1 through 47, and one additional “Life Ball” from a pool of numbers 1 through 10.
Players can either choose their own numbers, or select the “Lucky Dip,” which randomly generates numbers for the ticket.
Within the UK, one line costs £1.50.
Players can select up to seven lines per ticket and buy up to 10 tickets at a time.
The price and line restrictions may vary for international players who buy tickets through any of the top online lottery sites.
To win the top prize, players must match all five main numbers and the Life Ball.
If players aren’t lucky enough to match all six numbers, there are still seven other prize tiers they may qualify for, as players can win a prize with as little as two matching numbers.
Anyone over the age of 18 can purchase tickets for Set for Life.
Though the game is obviously offered in the UK, there are no restrictions on the nationality of players.
Therefore, people from all over the world can buy tickets for this exciting lottery game.
UK Set for Life Prizes and Odds
Though Set for Life won’t turn winners into millionaires overnight, the top prize is still life-changing.
If a player is lucky enough to match all six numbers, they will win the grand prize of £10,000 every month for 30 years, or £3.6 million total.
The second prize, which requires matching all five of the main numbers, is also an impressive £10,000 every month for one year.
The jackpot odds are pretty decent, at 1 in 15,339,390. While these odds aren't exactly great considering the full jackpot value, they could be worse.
UK Set for Life boasts an impressive eight prize tiers.
Players need only match two numbers to become a winner, with the lowest prize of £5 being a pretty good payout for a ticket that only costs £1.50.
The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 12.4.
Here is the breakdown of the odds and prizes for each tier:
Number of Matches | Probability of Winning | Estimated Winnings |
5 + Life Ball | 1 in 15,339,390 | £10,000 every month for 30 years |
5 | 1 in 1,704,377 | £10,000 every month for one year |
4 + Life Ball | 1 in 73,045 | £250 |
4 | 1 in 8,116 | £50 |
3 + Life Ball | 1 in 1,782 | £30 |
3 | 1 in 198 | £20 |
2 + Life Ball | 1 in 134 | £10 |
2 | 1 in 15 | £5 |
Claiming Set for Life Prizes
Set for Life winners have 180 days from the draw date to claim their prize.
Winners must collect their prize as the monthly payout, as there is no option of choosing a lump sum payment.
However, there is an exception to this: if a winner dies before the payouts are complete, the winner’s estate will receive a lump sum amount for the remainder of the prize.
The UK does not charge taxes on lottery winnings, so anyone lucky enough to win the top prize is awarded the monthly prize as advertised.
However, if a non-resident wins the jackpot, they may be subject to the tax laws of their country.
Notable UK Set for Life Winners
The first top-tier prize for Set for Life was awarded to two ticket holders on May 23, 2019. However, the winners had only matched the five main numbers and no Life Ball.
As that draw marked the 20th draw since the game had started, organiser decided to run a “Super Chance Draw,” which guaranteed that the top prize would still be awarded.
Since then, there have been many more winners lucky enough to win £10,000 every month for 30 years.
UK Set for Life-Should You Play?
UK Set for Life is an exciting new game offered by one of the most reputable lottery organisations in the world.
Though this game won’t be producing any record-breaking jackpots, it has an easy format and decent odds. It also has a top prize that-as the name states-will leave winners set for life with a monthly payout.
With so much going for it, we don’t see any reason why players shouldn’t give this game a try.
Sierra