Mega Millions will introduce several changes next month, including higher ticket prices, bigger jackpots, and altered odds, the lottery game announced.
Starting on April 4, ticket prices will increase to $5 each, up from the current $2. Along with this change, the game will drop an optional add-on that could increase non-jackpot prizes for an extra dollar. A $3 feature offering two jackpot plays will also be discontinued.
In return for the higher price, the odds of winning will improve. The odds of winning any prize will shift from 1 in 24 to 1 in 23. While the chances of hitting the jackpot will still be incredibly low, they will slightly improve from 1 in 302,575,350 to 1 in 290,472,336. This brings Mega Millions’ jackpot odds closer to Powerball‘s, which are 1 in 292.2 million.
Despite these changes, winning the jackpot will still be less likely than being struck by lightning, which has odds of 1 in 15,300, according to the National Weather Service.
To win the Mega Millions jackpot, players must match five white balls and the gold Mega Ball. The smallest prize is won by matching just the Mega Ball. The new odds come from removing one of the Mega Balls.
In addition to the changes in odds, prize amounts are also increasing. The jackpot will now have a minimum of $50 million, up from $20 million. With the new rules, the average jackpot is expected to surpass $800 million, compared to around $450 million previously. A random multiplier will also be added to the smaller prizes.
“Players who previously won $2 will now receive $10, $15, $20, $25, or $50. Those who won $500 under the old rules will now win $1,000, $1,500, $2,000, $2,500, or $5,000,” said Joshua Johnston, lead director of the Mega Millions Consortium.
Mega Millions drawings are held on Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 p.m. Eastern time. The first drawing with the new changes will take place on April 8. Tickets are sold in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The largest Mega Millions jackpot in history was $1.602 billion, won on August 8, 2023, by a single ticket sold in Florida.
