The Mega Millions multi-state lottery has announced a series of updates that it plans to implement in April 2025. It claims the changes will offer players bigger jackpots more frequently. The Mega Millions Consortium didn’t provide much in the way of details, but listed the following list of changes people should expect to see: Improved odds to win the jackpot, bigger jackpots more frequently, larger starting jackpots, faster growing jackpots, a built-in multiplier on every play, automatically improving every non-jackpot win by 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X or 10X – up to $10m for matching the five white balls, and no breakeven prizes, meaning when a player wins, they’ll always win more than the cost of the ticket.
“We expect more billion-dollar jackpots than ever before, meaning creating more billionaires and many more millionaires as the jackpots climb, plus this game will continue the important legacy of supporting great causes everywhere Mega Millions is played,” said Joshua Johnston, Lead Director of the Mega Millions Consortium in Monday’s announcement. However, there is one big catch: the price of a Mega Millions ticket will increase from $2 to $5.
Because of structural changes to both Mega Millions and Powerball in recent years, most of the largest jackpots in US lottery history have come this decade. Of the 11 jackpots of at least $1bn, just two (2016 and 2018) came before 2021. Mega Millions has six of the 11 billion-dollar jackpots. The largest jackpot in US lottery history was $2.04bn, won on November 7, 2022, by a Powerball player in California.
The changes in the Mega Millions lottery are expected to bring about significant enhancements to the game, offering players better odds of winning the jackpot and larger jackpots more frequently. The introduction of a built-in multiplier on every play will automatically improve non-jackpot wins by 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X or 10X, with the potential to win up to $10m for matching the five white balls. Additionally, there will be no breakeven prizes, ensuring that players always win more than the cost of their ticket.
While these improvements sound promising, there is a downside to the changes. The price of a Mega Millions ticket will increase from $2 to $5, which may be a deterrent for some players. However, the Mega Millions Consortium believes that the benefits of the enhancements, including more billion-dollar jackpots and a continued support for charitable causes, will outweigh the higher ticket price.
The Mega Millions Consortium is confident that the changes will lead to more billion-dollar jackpots than ever before, creating more billionaires and millionaires as the jackpots continue to grow. This aligns with the trend of larger jackpots in recent years, with most of the largest jackpots in US lottery history occurring in this decade. Mega Millions has been responsible for six of the 11 billion-dollar jackpots, highlighting its popularity among players.
Overall, the updates to the Mega Millions lottery are aimed at providing a more exciting and rewarding experience for players, with the promise of bigger jackpots and improved chances of winning. While the increase in ticket price may deter some players, the Consortium is optimistic that the enhancements will attract more participants and ultimately lead to even larger jackpots in the future.