Sell Your Life-Contingent Lottery Payments for a Lump Sum

If you won a lottery game that pays you for the rest of your life, like Cash4Life, Lucky for Life, or Millionaire for Life, your payments are life-contingent. That means they continue as long as you are alive and stop when you pass away. Unlike a standard lottery annuity where remaining payments go to your heirs, life-contingent payments have no residual value to your estate.

This makes them harder to sell. Most lottery payment buyers will not touch life-contingent payments because the buyer takes on the risk that payments could stop at any time. We work with life-contingent lottery payments regularly and have the experience and funding partners to provide competitive offers. If you have been told your payments cannot be sold, call us at (800) 317-3769. We have purchased payments like yours many times before.

What Makes Lottery Payments "Life Contingent"?

Standard lottery annuities, like Powerball or Mega Millions annual payments, are guaranteed for a set number of years (usually 30). If you die during that period, the remaining payments go to your beneficiary or estate. The buyer's risk is low because the payments will be made regardless.

Life-contingent lottery payments work differently. Games like Cash4Life ("$1,000 a Day for Life"), Lucky for Life ("$1,000 a Week for Life"), and Millionaire for Life promise payments for your lifetime only. When the measuring life (you) passes away, payments stop. There is nothing left for heirs.

This distinction matters because it directly affects what a buyer can offer you. A guaranteed payment stream due over 20 years has a predictable value. A life-contingent stream depends on how long you live, which introduces actuarial risk for the buyer.

How Life-Contingent Lottery Payments Work in Practice

If you are receiving lifetime lottery payments, you are probably familiar with the annual verification process. Most state lotteries require lifetime prize winners to submit a notarized letter each year confirming they are still eligible to receive payments. For example, Washington State requires verification 60 days before each annual payment date. If you do not verify, your payment can be delayed or withheld.

This verification requirement exists because the payments are life-contingent. The lottery commission needs to confirm the measuring life (you) is still alive before releasing each payment. It is also why these payments are harder to sell than standard lottery annuities. The buyer takes on the risk that payments could stop at any time.

How We Value Life-Contingent Lottery Payments

When you contact us about selling life-contingent lottery payments, the first thing we do is get the details of your payment stream: how much you receive, how often, and what game it came from. After that, we ask you to complete a health questionnaire.

The health questionnaire is the key piece. It is not a medical exam. You do not need to see a doctor or get lab work done. It is a set of questions about your age, general health, medical history, and lifestyle. We use this information to assess the expected duration of your payment stream, which directly affects the offer we can make.

Here is what the process looks like in practice:

• Younger, healthier sellers generally receive higher offers because their payments are expected to continue for a longer period. A 35-year-old with no major health issues receiving $1,000 a week has a long expected payment horizon.
• Older sellers or those with health conditions may receive lower offers because the expected payment duration is shorter. That said, we can still make competitive offers in most situations.
• The payment amount matters too. A $1,000-per-day Cash4Life prize is valued differently than a $1,000-per-week Lucky for Life prize, even for winners of the same age and health profile.

We have seen a wide range of life-contingent lottery transactions. Every situation is different, and the health questionnaire helps us give you an accurate, honest number rather than a generic estimate. The amount we quote is the amount you receive.

Life-Contingent Lottery vs. Standard Lottery Annuity

Which Lottery Games Have Life-Contingent Payments?

Cash4Life

Cash4Life awarded top-prize winners "$1,000 a Day for Life." The game ended in February 2026, but existing winners continue to receive payments. If you are still receiving Cash4Life payments, those payments are life-contingent and can potentially be sold depending on your state. We have worked with Cash4Life winners across multiple states.

Lucky for Life

Lucky for Life awarded top-prize winners "$1,000 a Week for Life." Like Cash4Life, the game ended in February 2026, but existing winners keep receiving payments. These are life-contingent. Second-prize winners ("$25,000 a Year for Life") also have life-contingent payments.

Millionaire for Life

Millionaire for Life launched in February 2026 as a replacement for Cash4Life and Lucky for Life, operating in 31 states. The top prize is "$1,000,000 a Year for Life." These payments are life-contingent.

For a complete breakdown of which states allow the voluntary assignment of lifetime lottery prizes, including statute citations for all 50 states, see our lifetime lottery prizes guide.

How to Sell Your Life-Contingent Lottery Payments

1. Call us or request a quote online. Tell us which game you won, how much you receive, and how often. Call (800) 317-3769 or fill out the form on this page.
2. Complete the health questionnaire. We send you a short questionnaire about your age, health, and medical history. No doctor visit required. This is how we determine what we can offer.
3. Receive your offer. Based on your payment details and the health questionnaire, we provide a written lump-sum offer. The amount we quote is the amount you receive. Not a penny less.
4. Sign your paperwork. You can sign electronically via DocuSign or with a notary we send to you at no cost. Once signed, we can often advance you cash the same day.
5. Court approval. Your state requires a judge to approve the transfer. CSF prepares all court filings and handles the entire process. Most transactions close in 30 to 60 days.
6. Receive your lump sum. After court approval, funding can happen as quickly as one business day.

This sounds more complicated than it actually is. You fill out a questionnaire, sign some paperwork, and show up to a brief hearing. We handle everything else.

Why Most Companies Will Not Buy Life-Contingent Lottery Payments

The short answer is risk. When a company buys guaranteed lottery payments, they know exactly how much money they will receive and when. With life-contingent payments, there is no guarantee. If the seller passes away, the payments stop and the buyer receives nothing further.

This risk requires specialized underwriting. The buyer needs to assess the seller's expected lifespan, price the risk accordingly, and have funding partners willing to take on that risk. Most lottery payment companies do not have this capability. They focus on guaranteed Powerball and Mega Millions annuities where the math is straightforward.

We have the underwriting expertise and funding partners to handle life-contingent lottery transactions. It is one of the areas where our experience with life-contingent structured settlement payments gives us a direct advantage. The valuation methodology is similar: health questionnaire, actuarial assessment, risk pricing. We have done thousands of these across both structured settlements and lottery payments.

Why CSF for Life-Contingent Lottery Payments

• We actually buy these. Most companies will tell you they cannot help. We work with life-contingent lottery payments regularly.
• Cross-trained expertise. Our team values life-contingent lottery payments using the same methodology we use for life-contingent structured settlements, where we are one of the top buyers in the country.
• Transparent pricing. The amount we quote is the amount you receive. The health questionnaire and offer process are straightforward, with all costs accounted for in the discount rate.
• Cash advances available. Need money before the court process is complete? We can often advance funds the same day you sign your paperwork.
• We handle the legal process. CSF prepares all court filings and coordinates with the state lottery commission. You never pay for any of this.
• 4,000+ transactions closed. We have the track record and the funding partners to close your deal.

The fastest way to find out what your life-contingent lottery payments are worth is to call us at (800) 317-3769 or fill out the form on this page. There is no cost, no obligation, and no pressure. We want to earn your business.