Major changes are coming to the Mega Millions!
Here’s everything to know about what changes you’ll see and when to expect them:
When does the current Mega Millions game end?
The final drawing of the current Mega Millions game will happen on Friday, April 4.
If nobody wins the jackpot, it will roll into the new game and continue to grow.
Players who have winning tickets issued for a drawing before the changes, and claim their prizes before the deadline set by their participating lottery, will get paid based on the prize matrix in effect during the time of the drawing for that ticket.
When does the new game start?
The first drawing with the new changes will happen at 11 p.m. on Tuesday, April 8.
How much will it cost to play the new Mega Millions?
Tickets for the new Mega Millions game will cost $5 per play, up from $2.
This is the second price change since the game launched in 2002. The first was in 2017 when the price increased from $1 to $2.
Built-in multiplier
The Megaplier that players in Michigan, and some other states, could add on for $1 is being retired.
Instead, the new game will feature a built-in multiplier, and every non-jackpot win will automatically multiply its base prize by 2x-10x.
“Beyond big jackpots, players told us they want bigger non-jackpot prizes and that’s exactly what this new game delivers,” said Joshua Johnston, Lead Director of the Mega Millions Consortium in a release. “Players who had won $2 in the old game will now take home $10, $15, $20, $25 or $50 under this game. Those who had won $500 under the old rules will now take home $1,000; $1,500; $2,000; $2,500 or $5,000 in this new game. Non-jackpot prizes at every level are going up by 2X to 10X. That’s the kind of value the new Mega Millions will deliver to our players at every single drawing.”
Improved overall, jackpot odds
The overall odds of winning any prize will improve to 1:23 from 1:24.
Additionally, the odds for a player to win a jackpot will change to 1:290,472,336 from 1:302,575,350.
This is due to the removal of the one gold Mega Ball, lottery officials said. The game will now feature 24 Mega Balls, instead of 25.
Bigger starting, faster-growing jackpots
The new game also brings larger starting jackpots. After a player wins a jackpot, it typically resets to around $20 million, but with the new game, it will reset to $50 million.
Jackpots are also expected to grow faster and more frequently with the new game. It is estimated that an average Mega Millions jackpot win will be more than $800 million versus the $450 million average typically seen with the current game.
Mega Millions wins
Since the game started, there have been seven billion-dollar jackpot winners.
Additionally, since the last change took effect in 2017, more than 1,200 people have become millionaires, according to lottery officials.
The jackpot was last won in Michigan in 2021. A lottery club in Oakland County won a $1.05 billion jackpot— the largest ever won in the state.
