Cash4Life is a lottery game that began in New York and New Jersey on June 16, 2014. Currently, it is offered in nine states; Cash4Life added Pennsylvania on April 7, 2015, Virginia on May 3, 2015, Tennessee on November 1, 2015, Maryland on January 26, 2016, Georgia on August 29, 2016, and Indiana on September 19, 2016. The Florida Lottery, the game's newest member, joined Cash4Life February 17, 2017.
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Cash4Life is drawn Mondays and Thursdays. (An unrelated multi-state game, also known as Cash4Life, was offered from 1998 to 2000; see below.)
Each game costs $2. Players choose (or have the terminal select the numbers, which is known as "quick pick" in Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee; and "easy pick" in Virginia) 5 of 60 numbers in the main field, and 1 of 4 (hence the game's name) green "Cash Ball" numbers in a second field. Matching all six numbers wins, or shares ("split-prize liability"), the equivalent of $1,000-per-day-for-life, or $7,000,000 cash, at the winner's option. Second prize, however, can have multiple winners of $1,000-per-week-for-life and/or $1,000,000 cash. (New Jersey Lottery regulations require that a player choose cash or annuity when playing; a "cash" ticket is binding, while an "annuity" ticket can be changed to cash after winning.)
Virginia's entry in Cash4Life replaced Decades of Dollars, which at most was offered by four lotteries; it ended as a Virginia-only game.
Prizes
†The top three prize tiers each have a liability limit. If there are an excessive number of winners of a "lifetime" prize tier, such prizes will automatically be paid in cash to each winner. Cash option values (which can change periodically) are $7,000,000 for the top prize, and $1,000,000 for second prize.
°The top prize is "split-prize liability"; in essence, a non-progressive jackpot.
The prize pool is 55 percent of sales.
Cash4Life winnings are subject to state and Federal taxes, except for tickets sold in Pennsylvania to its residents; however, a bill introduced in May 2015 would tax Pennsylvania Lottery winnings of $600 or more regardless of residence. (The state of Florida does not tax income, including gambling wins.)
1998–2000 MUSL game
Cash4Life also was the name of a significantly different game offered from March 30, 1998 to September 7, 2000 by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL). The top prize, $1,000-per-week-for-life (no cash option), was won if the player's primary set of two-digit numbers (00 through 99) matched those drawn. It was offered in Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.