Mega Millions Changes Set to Usher in Better Odds, Bigger Jackpots

Mega Millions Changes Set to Usher in Better Odds, Bigger Jackpots
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The price of one of the country’s most well-known lotto plays will go up in April 2025, but the Mega Millions changes will bring about better odds and bigger jackpots as well.

Joshua Johnston, Lead Director of the Mega Millions Consortium, confirmed the changes in a Monday, Oct. 7, announcement from Olympia, Washington.

Starting next spring, a single lotto draw play will cost $5. That’s up from the current $2 — or $3 for the multiplier payout boost. Mega Millions officials increased prices only one other time since the game debuted in 2002.

“We are creating a game that both our existing players and people new to Mega Millions will love and get excited about playing,” Johnson said. “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.”

Look For Bigger Jackpots With Changes to Mega Millions

Since 2017, prizes have been based on a matrix of five white balls, numbered 1-70, and a gold Mega Ball, numbered 1-25.

Mega Millions National Spokesman Dan Miller told Gaming Today that the game outcomes would change as part of the revamped lotto formula.

“We will be releasing the new matrix closer to the game launch,” said Miller on Tuesday. “But there will be a change in the number of Mega Balls that increases the odds of a player winning the jackpot.”

Here’s a look at the current formula:

MatchPrizeOdds
All Five White Balls + Mega BallJackpot1 in 302,575,350
All Five White Balls$1 Million1 in 12,607,306
4 of 5 White Balls + Mega Ball$10,0001 in 931,001
Four White Balls$5001 in 38,792
3 of 5 White Balls + Mega Ball$2001 in 14,547
Three White Balls$101 in 606
2 of 5 White Balls + Mega Ball$101 in 693
White Ball + Mega Ball$41 in 89
Mega Ball$21 in 37

Mega Millions already confirmed a few additional changes:

  • The multiplier (a 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, or 10x prize boost) will be automatic with the $5 ticket purchase.
  • Breakeven prizes will end. When a player wins, they always win more than the ticket cost.
  • The price increase should build jackpots more quickly. Meanwhile, the adjusted Mega Ball count that Miller referred to should increase the frequency of a jackpot win.

Fast Mega Millions Facts

  • Drawings are held at 11 p.m. (ET) on Tuesdays and Fridays at the WSB-TV studios in Atlanta.
  • 45 states, plus Washington D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands, offer Mega Millions. The holdouts are Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah.
  • The New Jersey Lottery is still waiting for someone to claim the $1.13 billion Mega Millions jackpot from March 26, 2024. The winner has six months left to come forward. The Garden State allows jackpot winners to remain anonymous.

Beating Mega Millions Odds: Other Games to Play

National lotto games like Mega Millions produce some of the biggest payouts in the world, but the overall odds of winning any Mega Millions prize are 1-in-24.

That may improve with the new matrix in April, but there are plenty of gaming options if the lotto balls don’t bounce your way. Many come with better odds — even if monster jackpots are off the table.

Traditional Betting

Travelers will find commercial and/or tribal casinos in 46 states. The exceptions are Georgia, Hawaii, South Carolina, and Utah. Stay-at-home games can also be an option in some states.

Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia offer online casino games (iGaming). Delaware, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania also feature online poker.

Retail and/or online sports betting is available in 38 states. Companies help new users get started with the best sportsbook promos around.

New and Trending Choices

Sweepstakes casinos and social casinos may not have the history of Mega Millions, traditional card parlors, or land-based casinos. However, the games use non-legal tender credits and coins that can be redeemed for real cash prizes.

Likewise, states without licensed sports betting often allow fans to compete against each other through the best social sportsbooks. Fliff and Thrillzz are a couple of examples. Players can often redeem coins for cash prizes in states that allow the option.

State Lottery Leaders Support Mega Millions Changes

California Lottery Director Harjinder K. Shergill Chima called the Mega Millions update “a winning proposition for both our players and our mission to raise supplemental funding for public education.”

“With bigger jackpots that grow even faster and better odds for players, we expect better sales for Mega Millions and, in turn, more money for schools,” she said.

Massachusetts State Lottery Executive Director Mark William Bracken hopes the game refresh produces additional winners in his state.

“With these enhancements, the game will offer increased value for those who are already playing while making it more attractive for potential new players,” he said. “The Mass Lottery has been a part of Mega Millions since it initially launched in 1996 as The Big Game, and we are excited for the latest rendition.”

Iowa Lottery CEO Matt Strawn said he also looks forward to the official launch in April.

“Responsibly raising revenue for important state causes, such as the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund, requires modernizing lottery games to meet consumer expectations,” he said. “I am confident the proposed updates to the Mega Millions game will bring renewed excitement from both existing and new lottery players.”

About the Author
Russ Mitchell

Russ Mitchell

Lead Writer
Russ Mitchell joined Gaming Today as a lead writer in February 2023 after joining Catena Media in 2021 as a managing editor for the PlayIA and PlayVA brands. He covers sports betting industry, market developments, the college sports betting industry, and the four major North American pro sports leagues. He brings 25+ years of journalism experience to Gaming Today. He is a five-time winner of the Iowa’s prestigious Harrison “Skip” Weber Investigative Reporting award, a two-time National Newspaper Association award winner and a 50-time Iowa Newspaper Association award winner.

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