Meet the new Mega Millions. People don’t like change, and lottery players are no different. So when is it acceptable for your favorite pastime to change the rules? When it makes the game better.
On April 8, Mega Millions will roll out new rules designed to make the popular multi-state lottery game even more appealing. The results promise to create even larger prizes and more ways to win.
The bad news is that the changes come with a price increase. Tickets are now going to cost $5, which is bound to upset some lottery players. But for those looking for a $2 ticket, there’s still Powerball. Part of the reasoning behind the new Mega Millions is that those two lotteries were too similar. Now you’ve got the choice between the budget option, or the biggest jackpots.
Introducing the always-on Megaplier
The biggest change is to what the lottery calls the “Megaplier” feature. Previously, Mega Millions players had the choice to opt in for Megaplier at an increased cost. Now it comes as part of that $5 ticket price.
- Every lottery entry will have a multiplier, as high as 10X, which will improve the amount of every non-jackpot win. As a result, consumers could win as much as $10 million for matching the five white balls in a Mega Millions drawing. Previously, a 5-white ball match could only be worth as much as $1 million.
Here’s a summary of additional changes to Mega Millions, slated to take effect in April 8:
- Jackpots start at a higher starting pot
- Pots grow faster
- Prizes are guaranteed to always be more than the cost of a ticket, regardless of the fee in your state
Buy tickets for current daily drawing only
One of the features of Mega Millions that players became accustomed to was the ability to purchase tickets for multiple drawings into the future. Before January, players could buy tickets for as many as 26 daily drawings ahead. For example, stop in on the 3rd of the month and a buy Mega Millions lottery ticket for every drawing through the 28th.
But, the multi-state lottery game has slowly been reducing the number of future drawings for which you can purchase tickets. By April 4, tickets will only be available for that day’s drawing only.
Mega Millions compared to Powerball
Everyone needs a competitor. Superman had Lex Luthor. The Lakers have the Celtics. Dwight had Jim. For Mega Millions, the opponent is Powerball. With the new changes to the former, which game is better now?
Should you play Powerball for $2 or Mega Millions for $5?
The starkest contrast between the two games is cost of entry: a Powerball ticket can be had for $2, while MM will soon be $5 in every state.
Which game is the best investment. Depends on you. Are you the type of player who wants the possibility of a gigantic, bank-vault-busting jackpot that would make Scrooge McDuck and Warren Buffet take notice? Choose Mega Millions.
But if you seek a lower entry to play and want a slightly better chance to win, pick Powerball. Odds to win are 1 in 292 million, compared to 1 in 302 million for Mega Millions.
How Mega Millions changed the lottery
What’s better than being a big shot in your own state? Being a big shot in all the land. That’s one reason Mega Millions is iconic.
Back in 1996, when “WWW” was just a stuck key on the keyboard, something longtime lottery players call “The Big Game,” launched, and let’s just say it was a game-changer—literally. Fast forward to 2002, and that same lottery got a fancy new name: Mega Millions. Boy, did it live up to it. Suddenly, Americans weren’t just dreaming about winning their local state lotto; they were fantasizing about jackpots so massive they could buy their own skyscraper.
Mega Millions took the lottery from a neighborhood hobby to a national obsession. Before it came along, most folks played whatever their home state was offering—$1 scratchers, pick-three games, you name it. But Mega Millions cranked things up to 11 by pulling together multiple states, which meant bigger jackpots, bigger dreams, and way more people joining in on the fun. And by fun, I mean standing in line at a gas station, clutching a ticket, and mentally spending that billion-dollar jackpot before even checking the numbers.
Let’s talk money. Since its rebranding, Mega Millions has handed out mountains of cash. Mega Millions was tossing money around when Mr. Beast was knee-high to his piggy bank. The game has made overnight billionaires, funded early retirements, and even fueled heartbreak when people realized they were one number off. The biggest Mega Millions jackpot in history? A mind-blowing $1.602 billion, won in Florida in August 2023. Imagine checking your numbers and realizing you’ve just won more money than some small countries’ GDP (we’re looking at you, Marshall Islands). That’s Mega Millions for you.
Each ticket sold does some good. Every time someone throws down a couple of bucks for a chance at the Mega Millions jackpot, a portion of that money goes toward public education, infrastructure, and other state programs. So even if you don’t win, you can at least tell yourself you’re contributing to society while you wallow in self-pity over your losing ticket.
Mega Millions has become its own form of entertainment. The day before a big drawing, you can’t go anywhere without hearing someone say, “If I win, I’m quitting my job immediately.” Office pools get formed, convenience stores see a rush of last-minute buyers, and even the most rational, skeptical people suddenly find themselves picking numbers based on their kids’ birthdays.
Mega Millions has turned playing the lottery from a local pastime into a nationwide event. It’s given us billion-dollar payouts, countless daydreams, and plenty of post-drawing heartbreak. Still: as long as there’s a chance—no matter how slim—people will keep buying those tickets, believing that maybe, just maybe, this time, they’ll be the lucky one. That’s the magic of Mega Millions. Starting April 8, it gets even better. In an age when it feels like everything is getting more annoying, that’s something to celebrate.
About the Author
