Colorado Lottery announces Mega Millions overhaul with "larger starting jackpots"

January 8, 2025 / 9:13 AM MST The Colorado Lottery announced a "mega" overhaul for its Mega Millions jackpot game. The lottery says the new game will launch April 5 with the first drawing on April 8.According to the Colorado Lottery, the enhancements include:Improved odds to win the jackpotBigger jackpots more frequentlyLarger starting jackpotsFaster growing jackpotsA built-in multiplier on every play, automatically improving every non-jackpot win by 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X or 10X – up to $10 million for matching the five white ballsNo breakeven prizes, meaning when a player wins, they'll always win more than the cost of the ticket"The Colorado Lottery has offered Mega Millions to players since 2010," said Tom Seaver, senior director of the Colorado Lottery in a statement. "The state has seen plenty of Mega Millions winners, but we are still waiting to have our own top prize winner. As national jackpots grow, so do the proceeds dollars the Lottery gives back to beautiful Colorado, with upwards of 38% of every dollar spent in Colorado going back to support projects in our great state. We are excited to bring even more chances to win to Coloradans in April." When the new game launches in April, tickets will cost $5 per play. The Colorado Lottery said this is only the game's second price adjustment since the first ticket was sold more than 20 years ago and the first change since the current game matrix was adopted in 2017. Since the game launched in 2002, Colorado has seen five $1 million winners. Since July 2024, Colorado has seen more than $200,000 in winners from $10,000 to $40,000 through standard game play. The Colorado Lottery said players who enjoy advance play will no longer be able to purchase games beyond April 4 when the changes go into effect. Mega Millions is a national game with tickets sold in 45 states, Washington, DC and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are conducted at 11 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesdays and Fridays in Atlanta, Georgia. Jennifer McRae is a digital media producer for CBS Colorado with more than 25 years of experience in news. Jennifer is part of the digital team recognized for excellence for Best Website several times by the Colorado Broadcasters Association.