First Millionaire For Life Jackpot Hits In Ohio
National nightly game launched in February and took 65 draws to crown a grand prize winner
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It took more than two months, but at long last, the Multi-State Lottery Association’s new Millionaire for Life draw game has a grand prize winner.
The winning ticket was purchased Monday in Ohio — specifically at the Giant Eagle on Edgecliff Avenue in Cleveland — and it was of the manual-pick variety. The winner chose numbers 4, 15, 19, 21, and 31, along with green Millionaire Ball 4, matching all six to earn the top prize of, as the name of the game indicates, a million bucks a year for life.
The game launched on Feb. 22 and draws nightly, meaning it took until the 65th draw before that 1-in-22.9-million chance of a jackpot winner came in.
The winner has the option to remain anonymous and has 180 days to come forward and claim their prize.
If and when they do, they’ll have a decision to make between accepting $1 million (pre-tax) every year for a minimum of 20 years or a one-time $18 million (pre-tax) cash prize. If Powerball and Mega Millions history is any indication, the lump-sum option is the odds-on favorite — especially if the winner turns out to be an older lottery player.
Five dollars and a dream
Millionaire for Life is available in 31 jurisdictions and tickets cost $5, with no add-on or multiplier options.
One big difference between this game and Powerball or Mega Millions is that the green Millionaire Ball has to fall between 1 and 5. (There are 26 red Powerballs and 25 gold Mega Balls.)
Overall odds of winning any prize are 1 in 8.46, but you need more than just the green Millionaire Ball to secure a minimum payout. Either the green ball plus one white or two white balls without the green pays $8.
As with other U.S. lottery games, a portion of the proceeds from every Millionaire for Life ticket goes toward public programs and services.
