Mega Millions lottery ticket prices to increase in April 2025

In a move to set itself apart from Powerball and send already-high jackpots soaring, Mega Millions will increase ticket prices and change its gameplay next year, Mega Millions announced on Monday.The changes will include a new numbers matrix, increased ticket prices from $2 to $5 and an automatic “multiplier” on every ticket. It’s all expected to drive the rate and frequency of large jackpots.“This is really going to differentiate Mega Millions in that, yes, it’s now going to be a $5 game — but the jackpot is going to grow faster and higher because it’s a $5 game,” Mark William Bracken, director of Massachusetts State Lottery, told MassLive.“You’re guaranteed a multiplier, so all of your prize payouts are going to be substantially higher at any winning points,” he said. He added Massachusetts State Lottery is “excited for the latest rendition that will hopefully produce additional jackpot winners in Massachusetts,” and the game will “offer increased value.”“We are creating a game that both our existing players and people new to Mega Millions will love and get excited about playing,” said Joshua Johnston, Lead Director of the Mega Millions Consortium. “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,” Johnston said. The changes are expected to go into effect in April 2025. Mega Millions is played in 45 states, plus the District of Columbia and U.S. Virgin Islands, and this is the second price adjustment for the game since the first ticket was sold over 20 years ago. The Mega Millions game matrix was also changed in 2017.Currently, Mega Millions lets players pay an additional $1 to put a “multiplier” on their ticket, which will increase the amount of any prize if they win. The multiplier’s amount is determined the night of the jackpot drawing when a ball is drawn from a pool of 15 balls, and it was either 2X, 4X or 5X.With the new change, the multiplier will instead be automatically applied to every $5 ticket sold — and it’ll be higher.“You’re going to be guaranteed at least a 2X multiplier, all the way to a 10X, for every single ticket. If you win anything, your prize is going to be multiplied,” Bracken explained.Now, there will be 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X and 10X multipliers — making every prize that’s won greater than the cost of the ticket. Lower-tier winners, who make up the majority of winners in each drawing, will especially benefit from the automatic multiplier.“No one’s going to win just the $1 million anymore,” he said. For example, if someone’s ticket matches five numbers to win a $1 million prize, the lowest amount their ticket will actually be worth is $2 million because of the automatic multiplier.Additionally, players will now choose between 1-24 numbers for the Mega Ball instead of 1-25. Taking away one of the Mega Balls from the pool will increase a player’s odds of winning, Bracken said.Bracken also addressed those who may be concerned about the 150% ticket price increase.“My response to that is it’s 2024, we’re dealing with $1 and $2 games. There is a space in the market for a $5 game, and the winnings are going to be so much bigger,” he said, adding that all winning tickets will now be worth at least double what the player paid.This is the largest change in the game in seven years since the numbers matrix for Mega Millions was changed in Oct. 2017. That adjustment decreased the field of the first five numbers from 1-75 to 1-70, which increased the odds of winning. After making the switch, the Massachusetts Lottery said jackpots have continued to be on the rise.There have been five total Mega Millions jackpot winners in Massachusetts. The largest win was in July 2004, when a $294 million jackpot was won on a ticket sold in Lowell.There were also two jackpots won on consecutive Tuesdays in January 2023, with a $33 million prize won in Belchertown and a $31 million won in Woburn. Additionally, a $32 million prize was won in Dorchester in 2011, and a $30.5 million prize was won in Hyannis in 2012.Mass. State Lottery winner: $1 million prize won in $10 gamePowerball winner: ticket worth $50,000 sold at Mass. convenience storeTwo winning $100,000 Mass Cash tickets sold in Mass. on SaturdayMass. State Lottery winner: 2 $10 million prizes claimed on same dayIf you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.