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Set For Life
Set For Life is an annuity game which offers the chance to win £10,000 a month for 30 years. It launched on the 15th March 2019 and is played on Mondays and Thursdays, with eight different ways to win in each draw.
Set For Life was introduced because the National Lottery wanted to offer a new type of game which would provide a guaranteed income rather than a one-off prize. Known as an annuity lottery, it gives winners of the top prize a total of £3.6 million over three decades.
How To Play
To play Set For Life, you must select five main numbers from 1 to 47 plus one Life Ball from a separate set between 1 and 10. You can either choose your own numbers or opt for a Lucky Dip.
You are able to buy your tickets from authorised retailers or play online, with the option to enter up to four weeks in advance. You must get your entries in before ticket sales close on the night of the draw - tickets cost £1.50 per line.
Go to the How to Play Set For Life page for more information about the game.
Prizes and Odds of Winning
You win prizes if the numbers you select match the winning numbers drawn. Prizes start at £5 for matching at least two main numbers, and increase in value as you match more numbers.
Unlike other lotteries, the top two prizes come in the form of regular payments over a period of time rather than one-off lump sums. To win the top prize, you must match all five main numbers plus the Life Ball, while you will receive the second prize of £10,000 every month for a year if you match five main numbers without the Life Ball.
All the prize tiers offer fixed awards, so you are guaranteed to win the stated amount, regardless of how many winners there are. Even if there are multiple winners of the top prize, everyone who wins will receive £10,000 a month for 30 years. The top prize does not roll over if there are no winners.
The following table shows the prizes on offer and the odds of winning in each category:
| Match | Prize | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 5 + Life Ball | £10,000 every month for 30 years* | 1 in 15,339,390 |
| 5 | £10,000 every month for 1 year | 1 in 1,704,377 |
| 4 + Life Ball | £250 | 1 in 73,045 |
| 4 | £50 | 1 in 8,116 |
| 3 + Life Ball | £30 | 1 in 1,782 |
| 3 | £20 | 1 in 198 |
| 2 + Life Ball | £10 | 1 in 134 |
| 2 | £5 | 1 in 15 |
| The overall odds of winning any Set For Life prize are 1 in 12.4 | ||
Super Chance Draws
From time to time, the National Lottery holds Set For Life Super Chance draws. In these special draws, you only have to match five main numbers to win the top prize of £10,000 for 30 years, improving your odds significantly. You also win the same if you match all five numbers and the Life Ball, just like in any standard draw.
Super Chance draws are not scheduled for any specific dates but will be announced by the National Lottery shortly before they are due to take place. It does not cost any extra to enter a Super Chance draw; all you have to do is purchase a Set For Life ticket for the date the draw is due to take place. The top prize is subject to prize capping as laid out below. For more information, see the Super Chance draw page.
Prize Capping
The top two prizes may be capped in exceptional circumstances. In the unlikely event that the total prize money needed to pay all jackpot winners in a single draw adds up to more than £16 million, the usual prize will be reduced. This can only happen if there are at least five players in the Match 5 + 1 category. In these circumstances, £16 million will be shared between all the winners, who can each choose between a cash lump sum or an annuity policy over 30 years.
Match 5 prizes will also be capped at a total value of £2 million per draw. If there are more winners than can be paid the standard prize, each one will receive a reduced amount paid out in monthly instalments over one year.