Win For Life
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Win For Life is a multistate game in the number-drawing style. It is played in three states. Sales began on February 26, 2006 (replacing Lotto South) and the first drawing was held March 1, 2006.
It is drawn each Wednesday and Saturday at 11:00PM eastern time in Richmond, Virginia at the WTVR-TV studios. It is administered jointly by the three states.
Instead of a jackpot, the top prize is $1,000 a week for the life of the winner(s), with a 10-year minimum payout. Second prize is $52,000.
To play the game, a player pays $1 and picks six numbers from 1-42. Six numbers are then drawn, followed by a seventh number drawn from the remaining 36. This seventh number is known as the free ball; it is used for some of the prizes.
The player wins as follows:
| Matches | Prize | Odds of winning |
|---|---|---|
| 2 of 6 numbers plus free ball | $2 | 1: 53 |
| 3 of 6 numbers | $2 | 1: 40 |
| 3 of 6 numbers plus free ball | $30 | 1: 441 |
| 4 of 6 numbers | $30 | 1: 588 |
| 4 of 6 numbers plus free ball | $200 | 1: 9,992 |
| 5 of 6 numbers | $600 | 1: 24,980 |
| 5 of 6 numbers plus free ball | $52,000 | 1: 874,298 |
| All 6 numbers | $1,000/week for life | 1: 5,245,788 |
Overall odds of winning are 1:21.
All prizes are fixed.
Unlike almost all lottery jackpot games, the top prize in WFL is automatically paid through an annuity. (Virginia winners initially could choose $520,000 cash in lieu of lifetime payments; however, the option was eliminated on May 2, 2007. All Lotto South jackpot winners could choose cash.) The winner of the top prize receives $1000/week for the rest of their life, with a 10-year minimum; multiple winners may receive less.
