You have to take part in it to win, but you have to immediately pay more money to have a chance.
Mega Millions tickets will more than double in price next April, from $2 to $5 each, lottery officials announced Monday, adding that the new price tag includes larger prizes. .
Mega Millions said the price increase will increase the odds of winning bigger jackpots as part of a “major overhaul” of the lottery starting in April 2025.
“It's pretty good to spend $5 and become a millionaire or billionaire,” said Joshua Johnston, director of the Washington Lottery and principal director of the group that oversees Mega Millions. .
Six Mega Millions players in the game's history have won jackpots of more than $1 billion, and 1,200 players have become millionaires with their winnings.
Lottery officials hope the larger jackpots and higher odds of winning will attract more customers even as ticket prices rise.
Currently, the odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are approximately 1 in 302.6 million.
Fewer people buy lottery tickets on a regular basis, unless there's a huge jackpot up for grabs.
“We expect more multi-billion dollar jackpots than ever before, which means that as jackpots rise, more millionaires will be created and more millionaires will be created.” What's more, this game will continue Mega Millions' important legacy of supporting causes wherever it is played,” Johnston said in a statement.
Increased lottery revenue increases cash flow to state lotteries, which use that revenue for various government services.
The $3 increase is the second price increase for Mega Millions tickets sold in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands since the lottery was launched in 2002, more than 20 years ago.
Johnston said most Americans know they don't mind spending a Lincoln on a Scratch or Lottery ticket, which costs about the same or less than a cup of Starbucks coffee.
The April changes will be the first time the lottery's rules have been adjusted.
This plan also brings bigger starts and faster jackpot increases, as well as built-in multipliers on all games, with non-jackpot wins automatically going up by matching five white balls. Mega Millions officials said.
One of the drivers for the update was to make Mega Millions more appealing to potential players than competitor Powerball, Johnston said.
Mega Millions officials are expected to announce details of the changes in the coming months.
with post wire
