You may have read the news of winners from Wake and Forsyth Counties who won “the prize of a lifetime” – $200,000 a Year for Life. The instant game launched on January 25 of this year, and since that time, 155 big prizes have been awarded.
Three of those big prizes are $50,000 a Year for Life wins that went to players from Onslow, Forsyth and Buncombe Counties. In addition to the top-tier prizes, 94 cash prizes of $5,000 and 56 prizes of $10,000 have been won by players from across the state.
One top prize of $200,000 a Year for Life and four prizes of $50,000 a Year for Life are still unclaimed as of August 11. So, what does "for life" really mean?
If you were to win the top prize of $200,000 a year for life, you will continue to receive a check every year of your life, as long as you’re living and breathing. If for some reason you were to stop living and breathing (i.e. you die), your estate (whoever legally controls your possessions after you die) would continue to receive the prize money each year until a total of 20 payments had been made ($4 million guaranteed).
So, $200,000 a year for life means exactly that. If a winner lives for 50 years after winning the top prize, they will get a check every year for the rest of their life. If for some reason that person won, received their first check, and then suddenly died; their estate would still receive checks for another 19 years to reach the 20-year guaranteed prize payout. The system works similarly for folks who win $50,000 a year for life playing this game.
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