Mega Millions is one of America’s favorite lottery games, played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Its picture gets blown up and put back together again on April 8. The game will be adding a number of free updates, including new maps. These changes are designed to provide bigger prizes and improve players’ odds of winning. Mega Millions players will experience an exciting new look and new game in the near future! By moving drawings to 11 p.m. ET on Tuesdays and Fridays, players will enjoy a larger starting jackpot and better odds.
The minimum Mega Millions starting jackpot will jump significantly, from $20 million to $50 million. This alteration is meant to appeal to a wider array of players and produce a higher level of drama and buzz about the game. So go buy a ticket—your odds of winning the jackpot are improving! They’ll change from roughly 1 in 302.6 million to 1 in 290.5 million. These adjustments are part of a broader strategy to enhance the overall player experience.
And the number of gold Mega Balls will be lowered from 25 to 24. This change will improve your chances of winning. The minimum prize for matching the gold Mega Ball is increasing! It will now be between $10 and $50, not $2 as it has been. Winners of five white balls without the Mega Ball win from $2 million to $10 million. This provides thrilling prizes and incentives for those players who nearly win the jackpot!
As part of the update, the lottery game’s “Just the Jackpot” feature will be eliminated. There’s another big win for players that’s hidden in the announcement—greater affordability through a new ticket pricing structure. This means that the price for each Mega Millions ticket is going up from $2 to $5. Now, every $5 ticket will feature a random multiplier of 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X or even 10X on all non-jackpot prizes! This addition was likely introduced to make winning more lucrative and keep players coming back.
All of these changes will increase your odds of winning one of the many prizes. You can raise your chances from 1 in 24 to 1 in 23. The average jackpot is expected to go over $800 million, making the game even more thrilling for jackpot seekers. The final drawing under the existing rules is scheduled for Friday, April 4. If nobody hits the jackpot for this drawing, it will roll over into the new, retooled game.