Bellmore man collects nearly $4.6M after hitting jackpot in New York Lottery Cash4Life game

A Bellmore man became a millionaire this week, opting for a single lump-sum payment after hitting the $1,000 A Day for Life jackpot prize in the nightly New York Lottery Cash4Life drawing in December, state lottery officials said.

According to the state lottery website, Jason Champagne bought the winning ticket at a smoke shop in upstate Newburgh, then hit it big when he matched all five field numbers and the cash ball in the Cash4Life drawing on Dec. 9.

The winning numbers were: 12, 24, 36, 54 and 56, with a cash ball of 2.

The top prize guaranteed a minimum payout of $7 million, but lottery officials said Champagne opted for a one-time lump-sum payout of nearly $4.6 million after taxes.

The lottery said Champagne, who could not be reached for comment, claimed his prize on Monday.

Lottery records show Champagne was the only ticket-holder to hit the top prize for the Dec. 9 drawing and list no winners of the second prize, which pays $1,000 a week for life to ticket-holders hitting the five field numbers but not the cash ball, which has four numbers: 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Five New York ticket-holders hit the third prize in the drawing, matching four field numbers and the cash ball. They each received $2,500.

According to the lottery website, the overall odds of hitting any prize in Cash4Life is 1 in 7.76.

The odds for scoring the top $1,000 A Day for Life prize?

That would be 1 in 21,846,048, making it a really special occasion for Champagne.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a Newsday reporter since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press, Society of the Silurians and National Headliner Awards for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing. He is the author of “Swee'pea,” about New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. His debut crime novel, “For Nothing Is Hidden,” rooted in 1950s Long Island, was released in October 2025.