US Cash4Life is a relatively new lottery game that offers a unique prize compared to some of the more popular national games.
It has a simple, familiar format that makes it attractive to both new and experienced players.
In this guide, we’ll explain the ins and outs of the game as well as how you can buy US Cash4Life tickets online.
About US Cash4Life
US Cash4Life held its first draw on June 16, 2014, in just two states-New York and New Jersey.
Today, it is available in a total of nine states: Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Tennessee.
The game is multi-jurisdictional and is offered by the participating state lotteries.
US Cash4Life Draws
US Cash4Life is a nightly draw with each draw held at 9 pm ET at New Jersey Lottery Headquarters in Trenton, New Jersey.
A total of six balls are randomly selected. These include five white balls from the main ball pool and one bonus ball from a smaller ball pool.
The game changed from a bi-weekly draw to a nightly draw in July 2019.
How to Play US Cash4Life
To play Cash4Life, players have to choose five main numbers from a ball pool of numbers 1 to 60. The bonus ball, called the Bash Ball, comes from a much smaller ball pool of numbers 1 to 4.
To win the top prize of US $1,000 a day for life, players must match all five balls and the Cash Ball.
The second-highest prize, which is still an impressive US $1,000 a week for life, is won when a player matches all five main numbers.
Each entry for Cash4Life costs US $2 when purchased within the US.
In New Jersey, players can choose the Doubler NJ, which costs an additional US$1 and doubles each of the prizes except for the top two tiers.
US Cash4Life Prizes and Odds
The top two prizes for US Cash4Life are fixed. This means they are the same every draw and do not accumulate to higher amounts. Each of these prizes awards money to the winner for life.
The top two prizes, as well as the third prize, have a liability limit. This means that if there are too many winners of these prizes in a given draw, the prizes will automatically be awarded in cash as opposed to daily or weekly.
The odds of winning the top prize are 1 in 21,846,048 and the overall odds of winning any prize are 1 in 7.76.
The odds of winning and prize amounts for each tier are as follows:
Numbers Matched | Odds of Winning | Winnings |
5 + Cash Ball | 1 in 21,846,048 | US $1,000/Day for Life |
5 | 1 in 7,282,016 | US $1,000/Week for Life |
4 + Cash Ball | 1 in 79,440 | US $2,500 |
4 | 1 in 26,480 | US $500 |
3 + Cash Ball | 1 in 1,471 | US $100 |
3 | 1 in 490 | US $25 |
2 + Cash Ball | 1 in 83 | US$10 |
2 | 1 in 28 | US $4 |
1 + Cash Ball | 1 in 13 | US $2 |
Claiming US Cash4Life Prizes
Players who win the first- or second-tier prize can choose between an annuity option or a cash option.
The annuity rewards US $1,000 per day or per week, respectively, and the cash option awards US $7 million or US $1 million, respectively.
Some players are able to choose this at the time of purchasing the ticket, while others must make a choice within a deadline after they have won.
For example, players in Florida must choose the cash option within 60 days of the draw, while New Jersey rules stipulate that players must choose between the cash or annuity at the time of purchase.
However, if players in New Jersey choose the annuity option at time of purchase, they can change their decision to the cash option when they claim their prize.
Players have one year from the draw date to claim their prize.
All prizes exceeding US $5,000 are subject to a federal withholding tax, and prizes exceeding US $10,000 are subject to a gross income tax. Some state tax laws may also apply.
Players outside of the US who want to buy lottery tickets online for US Cash4Life through an independent retailer may also have to pay taxes in accordance with the laws of their country of residence.
Notable US Cash4Life Winners
Unlike many popular online lotteries, US Cash4Life has a fixed jackpot prize.
This means that all jackpot winners receive the same prize, or rather, the same two options for jackpot payouts.
When it comes to choosing between the US $1,000 a day annuity and the US $7 million cash option, many choose the cash option.
For those who choose the annuity, the duration of the payouts is measured by the winner’s lifetime, with a minimum of 20 years of weekly payouts.
US Cash4Life-Should You Play?
US Cash4Life is easy to play and has an exciting prize that could leave winners set for life.
Whether players choose the annuity or cash option, they receive a nice chunk of money.
With decent odds and reasonably priced tickets, we see no reason why players shouldn’t give this great game a try.
Art