Scratch-Offs

Florida

In Florida, the ‘$1,000,000 A YEAR FOR LIFE SPECTACULAR’ is a top-of-the-range scratch-off game. That means the cost is $50 per ticket, but the payouts can be extraordinary, with the overall odds of getting a prize at just 1 in 4.5.

When it launched in February 2023, there were two top prizes worth $1 million a year for life. The first was claimed in November 2023 by Marquis Allen Anderson from Fort Lauderdale, who had bought his ticket at a Publix store at 601 S Andrews Avenue in Fort Lauderdale. He decided to take the cash option of $16 million instead of the annuity.

As well as the jackpot, the game began with 234 prizes of $1 million. This second prize could also be taken as an annuity spanning 25 years, making each payment worth $40,000. While most winners take the $1 million as cash, Colleen Marie O’Neill from Bradenton is one player who opted for the annual payments.

At launch, the ‘$1,000,000 A YEAR FOR LIFE SPECTACULAR’ scratch-off also had 9.3 million prizes between $100 and $500, and the total of all the prize money was worth more than $1.6 billion.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts’ ‘Lifetime Millions’ scratch ticket works in a similar way to Florida’s game, with a cost of $50 and a top payout of $1 million a year for life.

The game was introduced in February 2024 with three top prizes up for grabs. The first was claimed in July 2024 by a player who had received the ticket as a birthday present.

It was claimed through the Merjon Tangovan Nominee Trust of Boston, represented by trustee Greg Racki. The winner took the cash option of $15.4 million before taxes and described it as ‘the best birthday present ever.’ Plans for the money included buying a new car, traveling, and helping out family. The winning ticket was bought at Northside Market & Liquors, located at 44 North Rd. in Bedford.

Gagnant a Vie

Other states also offer scratch tickets where you can win regular payments over a long period, although not necessarily $1 million each time. In Canada, you can also become rich for life if you get lucky on certain scratch-offs.

One story that made headlines around the world centered on the Quebec game Gagnant a Vie (Winner for Life). Teenager Charlie Lagarde bought a bottle of champagne and a $4 scratch ticket to celebrate her 18th birthday, and ended up winning the top prize of CA$1,000 a week for life.

Lagarde, from a region just southeast of Montreal, considered taking the lump sum payout of CA$1 million but ultimately went for the annuity. It could prove to be a lucrative decision – over 60 years, for example, the prize would be worth CA$3.12 million. She said she planned to use the money to travel while also wanting to study photography.