Mega Millions tickets spike to $5, promises bigger jackpots, better odds
New Mega Millions promises bigger jackpots, more frequent wins, and costs more to play. The new rules go into effect for Tuesday, April 7's drawing.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Starting Tuesday, the starting jackpot for the Mega Million lottery game will balloon to $50 million, though it also costs more to play.
The 23-year-old game is adopting new rules that California Lottery officials said "promises bigger jackpots and bigger wins more often."
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Officials said that experts predict the average jackpot will be more than $800 million. That's compared to the approximately $450 million average win under the previous game structure.
Costs more to play
Up until last week, the starting jackpot stood at $20 million. But the cost to play was $2. It will now increase to $5.
Officials said it’s only the second price adjustment in the game since it launched in 2002.
But along with the price increase, the game will also have a minimum prize of $10 on a winning ticket. Previously, the smallest prize was $2.
"Say goodbye to breakeven prizes – meaning whenever you win, you will receive more than the cost of the ticket!" officials explained.
As part of the new rules, there will also be an automatic, random multiplier at every non-jackpot price tier, with no extra action needed by the player.
The prize increase will range from two to 10 times the original amount, with non-jackpot prizes typically ranging from $10 to $10 million, according to officials.
By the numbers:
"Overall odds will be 1 in 23.08, compared to the current odds of 1 in 24.12," officials said.
The odds of hitting all five of the numbers plus the Mega number to win the jackpot are also improved under the new game, though still very much of a long shot.
Officials calculated the odds of taking home the jackpot will now be 1 in 290,472,336, down from 1 in 302,575,350.
Lottery officials said that the changes will not only benefit Mega Millions players, but will also boost California’s public schools.
"For every ticket of the new Mega Millions game sold in our state, an extra two dollars will go right to schools," said lottery spokesperson Carolyn Becker.
The first draw for the newly structured game will be at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
The estimated jackpot for the draw stood at $54 million.
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