Millionaire for Life Odds and Prizes
Use this page to find out what you can win when you play Millionaire for Life. With nine different prize tiers – including one main prize of $1 million a year for life, and a second prize of $100,000 a year for life – we’ve made it easy to see how to win each, and tell you how to claim prizes if you win.
Discover more about the game at our main Millionaire for Life page, including how to up your odds by entering the game every day.
| Numbers Matched | Prize | Odds of winning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 + Millionaire Ball | $1,000,000 per year for life | 1 in 22,910,580 | |
| 5 | $100,000 per year for life | 1 in 5,727,645 | |
| 4 + Millionaire Ball | $7,500 | 1 in 86,455 | |
| 4 | $500 | 1 in 21,614 | |
| 3 + Millionaire Ball | $250 | 1 in 1,663 | |
| 3 | $50 | 1 in 416 | |
| 2 + Millionaire Ball | $25 | 1 in 98 | |
| 2 | $8 | 1 in 24.44 | |
| 1 + Millionaire Ball | $8 | 1 in 16 | |
| Overall odds of winning any prize are approximately 1 in 8.46 | |||
Multiple Winners
Millionaire for Life prizes are parimutuel, meaning that if there are multiple winners, the prize is split proportionally amongst them. The lifetime payment goes down but you still receive a substantial share of the prize.
If there are 21 big winners or more, the annuity structure is thrown out and each are given a lump sum cash prize payment instead.
Cash or Annuity
A major decision when you win the Millionaire for Life jackpot is whether to take the prize in a cash lump sum or lifetime annuity. The cash payout banks you $18 million right off the bat, whereas with annuity payments, prizes are paid to winners in annual installments over the years. The catch is that annuity grant you a higher prize in the long run – ideal for estate planning – whereas lump sums gives you more money quicker, but is substantially less than the overall prize. Though let’s be honest, it’s still a gargantuan amount!
Claiming Prizes
How you claim Millionaire for Life prizes in the Empire State depends on the amount you win:
- Prizes up to and including $600: Get your prize from any of the 15,000+ licensed lottery retail locations in the state.
- Prizes over $600: Claim prizes in this bracket at one of the New York Lottery’s Customer Service Centers. You must provide your winning ticket and a completed claim form to complete the process. This applies if you win the jackpot or the second tier prize of $100,000.
- Jackpots:Millionaire for Life jackpot wins require you to sign your ticket and show it to the lottery authorities by mail or in person. You must prove your identity using a valid government issued photo ID like driver’s license or passport. You may also need to provide your Social Security card or ITIN, and you will certainly need to fill out the claim form too.
Claiming by mail: Send your winning ticket, along with a claim form for prizes of $601 or more, to the New York Lottery at PO Box 7533, Schenectady, NY 12301-7533.
Claim Timeframe
You have to claim prizes within a year of the draw. Any cash prize left unclaimed after this time will expire and be used to subsidize future New York Lottery events or jackpots.
