Get ready to dream bigger!
Mega Millions, the lottery game that's made countless millionaires, is getting a major upgrade in April 2025. This overhaul promises bigger jackpots, better odds, and a built-in multiplier to boost your winnings.
What's new with Mega Millions?
Beginning next year, these changes will impact the game in all U.S. states and territories that play Mega Millions:
- Improved odds: Your chances of winning the jackpot just got better. The exact details of the odds improvement haven't been released yet, but officials promise it will be significant.
- Bigger jackpots: Expect more frequent and larger starting jackpots. Combining larger starting jackpots, increased ticket sales from the higher price, and improved odds will lead to bigger jackpots more frequently.
- Built-in multiplier: Every play automatically increases your non-jackpot winnings by 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, or even 10x, up to $10 million. This means you could win a million-dollar prize even if you don't match all five white balls.
- No breakeven prizes: Every win is a winning win. There will be no more small prizes that only cover the ticket cost.
- Price change: Tickets will cost $5 per play, making it the first price adjustment in over 20 years. The previous price increase was from $1 to $2 in 2017.
The new game matrix will be 5/70 plus 1/25, meaning you'll need to match 5 out of 70 white balls and 1 out of 25 Mega Balls to win the jackpot. This is a change from the current game matrix of 5/75 plus 1/25. This change in the number of white balls will increase the odds of winning non-jackpot prizes.
There will no longer be a multiplier that can increase your winnings by up to 5 times. The Just the Jackpot option will also be removed, meaning you can no longer choose to only play for the jackpot. However, the new game matrix and built-in multiplier will make it easier to win a big prize.
The drawings will continue to be held on Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 p.m. ET.
Why the changes?
The changes to Mega Millions were carefully considered after months of research and analysis. Many different options were explored before the final decisions were made. In January 2025, we'll learn more about the specific prize matrix and other details about the game changes.
Joshua Johnston, Lead Director of the Mega Millions Consortium, said:
We are creating a game that both our existing players and people new to Mega Millions will love and get excited about playing. 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.
The changes are also designed to keep Mega Millions competitive with Powerball, another popular lottery game.
A look back at Mega Millions
Since its launch in 2002, Mega Millions has produced six billion-dollar jackpot winners and over 1,200 millionaires. The game is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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