increased cost and alterations explained for Mega Millions lottery tickets

The popular lottery game Mega Millions has undergone significant changes, following a price increase from $2 to $5 per play, effective from April 8, 2025. This adjustment comes with a host of improvements designed to offer players greater winning potential and larger prize amounts.

Key details of these changes include:

The starting jackpot has been raised from $20 million to $50 million, with jackpots growing faster and more frequently.
Every ticket now automatically includes a built-in random multiplier of 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X, or 10X, which multiplies non-jackpot prizes, potentially up to $10 million.
The minimum prize for winning has been increased to $10, ensuring all wins are at least double the ticket cost.
The odds for winning the jackpot have improved, now standing at approximately 1 in 290 million, better than before.
Tier-two prizes can now be worth $2 million, $3 million, $4 million, $5 million, or $10 million.
The number of gold Mega Balls has been reduced from 24 to 23.
The odds of winning a tier-three prize by matching four balls along with the gold Mega Ball have improved.
Players who match the gold Mega Ball can now win $10, $15, $20, $25, or even $50.
The Mega Millions game now offers non-jackpot prizes that can be worth a minimum of $10 and a maximum of $10 million.

These enhancements aim to provide players with bigger wins, more frequent jackpots, and increased prize opportunities, making the higher ticket price reflective of added value. The changes will take effect from the drawing on April 8, 2025, with older play slips becoming invalid after April 5, 2025.

Mega Millions is played in 45 states, the US Virgin Islands, and Washington D.C., and is one of America's two big jackpot games. The Mega Millions lottery price increase marks only the second time the game has adjusted its price for more than 20 years.

The Mega Millions' largest jackpot to date was won on August 8, 2023, with a single ticket purchased in Florida claiming a $1.602 billion payout. The odds of winning the jackpot have improved from 1 in 302.5 million to 1 in 290.4 million, offering players a slightly better chance at hitting the big win.

Players are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the new rules and adjust their strategies accordingly as they aim for the bigger and more frequent wins offered by the revamped Mega Millions game.

In an effort to offer increased winning potential and larger prize amounts, the Mega Millions lottery has implemented changes that include a higher starting jackpot of $50 million, automatic multipliers for non-jackpot prizes, and improved odds for winning the jackpot, among other updates.
With the Mega Millions lottery price increase to $5 per play, taking effect from April 8, 2025, players can now potentially win bigger, experience more frequent jackpots, and take advantage of increased prize opportunities as part of the revamped game.